Amidst ongoing political debates in West Bengal, the state's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit has significantly intensified its focus on temple-related narratives. This move comes against the backdrop of discussions surrounding a mosque in Murshidabad, which some have compared to the Babri Masjid structure.
Puja Performed for Proposed Ram Mandir in Murshidabad
On Saturday, BJP's Murshidabad functionary Shakharabh Sarkar conducted a yajna and puja in the Manindranagar area for a proposed Ram Mandir in the district. The event was part of the party's plan to construct a temple dedicated to Lord Ram. Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar confirmed the party's intention, stating, "We will construct a Ram Mandir in Murshidabad. Our party workers organized a small puja there. We will construct it very soon." Although Majumdar was scheduled to attend, he could not be present at the programme.
Sarkar further elaborated that the plans for the site are not limited to a temple. He announced that a hospital is also being planned on the same premises. In a symbolic gesture, he mentioned that numerous households across Bengal would perform puja for the bricks intended to be used in the temple's construction.
BJP's Demand to Reclaim Historic Adinath Temple
The push for the Ram Mandir follows a related demand raised just a day earlier in the Rajya Sabha. On Friday, West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya urged the Government of India to reclaim the Adinath Temple in the Malda district. He presented this issue in the context of the Adina Mosque, located in Malda, claiming it was built on the same premises where the ancient Adinath Temple once stood.
Bhattacharya framed the demand as a matter of historical record rather than communal conflict. "It is not a fight between Hindus and Muslims. But the existence of Adinath Temple is historically proven," he asserted in Parliament. He bolstered his claim by citing historical evidence and a poignant story of sacrifice. The BJP leader recounted that Santhal leader Jitu Santhal was killed by the British while attempting to reclaim the temple site. He also referenced a collection of documentary evidence from between 1865 and 1867 that, according to him, proves the temple's existence at that specific location.
Political Implications and Strategic Narrative
The consecutive announcements regarding temples in Murshidabad and Malda signal a deliberate political strategy by the Bengal BJP to amplify its narrative on cultural and religious sites. By linking the proposed Ram Mandir with community welfare through a planned hospital and anchoring the Adinath demand in documented history and a freedom struggle martyr, the party is crafting a multi-faceted campaign. These developments are likely to shape the political discourse in West Bengal in the coming months, focusing on heritage, identity, and historical claims.
