PM Modi restoring glory of 'humiliated' Hindu centres of faith: Shah

He said earlier people used to be ashamed of visiting temples, but a new era began with the Modi government

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the centres of faith of the Hindu community were left humiliated for many years and nobody cared to bring back their glory until the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, which is now working "fearlessly" for the renovation of such sites.

"For many years centres of belief of Hindu community remained humiliated as no one started to revitalise them. In 2014, the people of India gave a full majority to Narendra Modi ji...a full majority after 30 years. We have seen earlier how people used to feel embarrassed going to temples. But a new era dawned as designated prime minister Narendra Modi performed Ganga aarti after applying bhabhut (sacred ash) on his forehead at Kashi Vishwanath temple," Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed in his speech during three-day Umiyadham temple foundation stone laying ceremony in Ahmedabad.

He claimed that "Modiji is working fearlessly to renovate our forgotten centres of faith with devotion and respect."

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Shah further added, "Demolished during the time of Aurangzeb, the renovation of Kashi Vishwanath temple is going to be unveiled by the hands of Narendrabhai in two days on 13th (December). We will see the grand renovation of the temple." He said that many such temples are being renovated.

Giving examples, Shah said that three months ago he participated in a foundation stone laying ceremony in Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh) for a grand temple of Ma Vindhyavasini as "the idol of the goddess had to be hidden in a house due to fear of Muslim invasion." He said that a grand temple will be built at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore.

"Today, as the foundation stone laying ceremony of a grand temple is being performed by Arya Samaji Acharya Devvrat (Governor of Gujarat), I would like to say that under the leadership of Modiji, Modiji is working fearlessly to renovate our forgotten centres of faith with devotion and respect," Shah said while addressing the gathering.

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Apart from Shah, and Acharya Devvrat, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, his cabinet ministers, BJP leaders and ex-leader of opposition Siddharth Patel, among others were present. The temple project dedicated to goddess Umiya, the deity of the Kadva Patidar sect is being built at a cost of Rs1,500. The campus will have several facilities for the community.

In his speech, Shah also mentioned how Prime Minister Modi "unveiled" the statue of Adi Shankaracharya and "revived the centre of faith of crores of Hindus" at Kedarnath temple after the region was devastated by floods in 2013. BJP sources said that it was Shah's major appearance in a Patidar community function since 2016, the year he was booed by Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders for cases and police atrocities against Patidars for reservation agitation.

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