HVK Archives: VHP declares deadline for Krishna Bhoomi
VHP declares deadline for Krishna Bhoomi - The Observer
Shahld K Abbas
()
23 September 1996
Title : VHP declares deadline for Krishna Bhoomi
Author : Shahld K Abbas
Publication : The Observer
Date : September 23, 1996
The Viswa Hindu Parishad has fixed November 12, the
occasion of the festival of Bhaiya-Duj, as the fresh
deadline to step up its stir for emancipating the Lord
Krishna Janam Bhoomi at Mathura from the clutches of
police. Talking to a group of visiting, Delhi-based
newsmen, VHP general secretary Acharya Giriraj Kishore,
alleged that in the garb of guarding the disputed Idgah
Bhavan the Lord Krishna temple has been converted into a
police camp.
To pocket a particular community's vote-bank the state
government was spending crores of rupees and an environ-
ment of panic has been created in the pretext of frisking
the pilgrims.
The police doesn't shy away from mistreating and threa-
tening the pilgrims while they take full liberty in
teasing the womenfolks, accused an agitated Kishore.
There is no tension among the two communities in the city
but the huge and illegal police picket has generated an
artificial tension, said Kishore alleging that inconceiv-
able desecration of the 'puja' appliances was going on.
While, even smoking was strictly banned inside the mandir
premises, the policemen, he alleged, not only smoke
inside the mandir but do not hesitate in sneaking in
liquor bottles.
According to Kishore, while the central government has
forcefully taken Ayodhya Mandir into its control, a
similar, illegal, operation, from behind the curtain, was
on in Mathura.
In an Idgah, Namaz is only offered on the festival occa-
sions of Idd and Bakreed. But, in Mathura the Idgah was
slowly being converted into a full time Masjid, he
charged.
Emperor Aurangzeb played the same trick in Mathura which
Emperor Babar played on Ayodhya. Even today the revenue
records show that the Lord Krishna Janambhoomi, on the
insistence of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, was purchased
in 1944 for Rs 13,000.
In 1957 the trust was formed with Pandit Malviya, Sait
Jugal Kishore and Prof Aajey and entrusted its charge,
said Mr Kishore. The records, he said, also show that
Raja Patlimal had purchased this property, including the
Idgah land, from the Company government.
The records also say that Emperor Aurangzeb never consti-
tuted any waqf for this Idgah while till 1947 Raja Patli-
mal used to get a monthly rent of Rs 15 for the Idgah
land, disclosed the VHP general secretary.
Soon after achieving independence the Central government,
on account of the dispute, had decided to remove the
Idgah from the site. But Maulana Abul Kalam Azad inter-
vened to scuttle the Centre's decision.
He revealed that the Idgah which, after being gradually
accorded the status of a masjid for the appeasement of a
votebank, was first used by the Maratha soldiers as
stable for their horses and later by the British govern-
ment as a prison camp. It (Idgah) had lost its purity
then itself, claimed the VHP leader.
The head of the trust, Girija Prasad Chaturvedi, who was
also present at the press conference, informed that the
4.5 acre open land, kept reserved at the Shri Krishna
Janambhoomi for the purpose of constructing an open dais
for Raasleela, has also been encroached by the police
which has taken control of the land by putting up its
tents.
Mr Kishore Also, he added, that under the garb of pro-
tecting the back walls of the masjid, the police has also
encroached the pilgrims' Dharamshala.
Mr Kishore also said that the pilgrims who come to Krish-
na Janambhoomi were -being victims of perpetual harass-
ment over the last four years by the police, in the
pretext of frisking, and they swear never to visit
Mathura again.
Pilgrims in this backdrop are forced to rent expensive
hotels which charge anything above Rs 140 per day.
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