Is a Dalit Priest appointed in Ayodhya Ram Temple? | VHP’s request!

YouTurn EditorialAugust 14, 2020

244 1 minute read

Claim

Vishva Hindu Parishad took the holy soil from all the sacred places for Ram Janma Bhoomi. Also selects Dalit priest and employs them in Ayodhya temple ..! Jai Shriram ..!

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Description

Bhoomi Puja for construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya was completed on 5th August 2020. Following this, various hoaxes and misinformation were spread on social media. In this context, a photo of a priest claiming that the Vishva Hindu Parishad organization is selecting and hiring a priest from the oppressed community at the Ram temple to be built in Ayodhya is viral.

The Vishva Hindu Parishad has stated in the news, “It has been demanded that a priest from the oppressed community should be included in the Ram temple to be built in Ayodhya. Also, the money donated by that community should be used for the temple” on December 21, 2019.

Economic Times reported as Vishva Hindu Parishad said that the “The soil would be sent to Ayodhya from places including Nagpur where Ambedkar converted into Buddhism, his birthplace Mhow, the main places of their community – the Sant Ravidas Temple in Kashi, the Tantia Bill Temple in Madhya Pradesh, the Maharshi Valmiki Ashram in Sitamarhi, where Mahatma Gandhi had been for more than a month.” on July 31, 2020.

In the same message, it was mentioned that they had earlier demanded the appointment of a priest from the oppressed community at the Ram temple to be built in Ayodhya. VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal also said that the foundation stone for Ram Janmabhoomi was laid in 1989 by Karsevak Kameshwar Chappal, a member of the oppressed community who is also a member of the Shriram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra Foundation.

However, there has been no news or official announcement that a priest from the oppressed community will be hired at the Ram Temple. We were able to understand that the demand put forward by the VHP organization last year is now spreading as it has happened. The VHP has put forward their request. However, the decision on the appointment of the priest will be made by the temple trust itself.

Bhoomi Puja was held at Ram Temple in Ayodhya with many restrictions due to coronavirus. It was alleged that not even one of the 200 dignitaries attending the Bhoomi Pooja was from the oppressed community. Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has also said that a monk from an oppressed community should also be invited to the Bhumi Puja at the Ram Temple.

While reverse searching the claim image of a post in Ayodhya on the appointment of an oppressed social priest, we found that the source image was published in the April 2018 incident in Telangana. In it, CS Rangarajan, 60, one of the chief priests of the Bhagavan Balaji Temple in Chilkur, Telangana, performed a rare ritual called ‘Muni Vagana Seva’ at the 400-year-old temple. According to the ceremony, the priest took a devotee from an oppressed community to the Sanctorum. ”

Explanation

In our search, Vishva Hindu Parishad indeed took holy soil from all the holy places for Rama Janma Bhoomi. The VHP also demanded that Dalit priests be selected and employed at the Ayodhya temple. However, there is no information that the priest of the oppressed community was appointed. And the decision will be made by the Foundation. It is learned that the claimed image was taken during a temple function in the state of Telangana.