In an apparent reference to the controversies in Varanasi and Mathura, Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya warned on Sunday that if the BJP seeks a temple in every mosque, people will want a Buddhist monastery in every temple, news agency PTI reported. Speaking with reporters, he stated: ''BJP people under a conspiracy are rasing mosque-temple issue. They are looking for a temple in every mosque. This will cost them dearly. Because if they look for a temple in every mosque then people will start searching for a Buddhist monastery in every temple."
According to the SP's national general secretary, there is sufficient historical proof that all of these temples were Buddhist monasteries.
''The Badrinath and Kedarnath temples in Uttarakhand, the Jagannath Temple in Puri, the Ayyappa Temple in Kerala and the Vithoba temple in Pandharpur (Maharashtra) were Buddhist monasteries. These Buddhist monasteries were demolished and then Hindu religious shrines came up there. They were Buddhist monasteries till the eighth century,'' he was quoted by PTI in its report.
He stated that his objective is not to convert these temples into Buddhist monasteries, "but, if you search for a temple in every mosque, then why should a Buddhist monastery not be searched for in every temple?'' In response to the comment, Uttar Pradesh BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary stated that ''insulting the Sanatan Dharma repeatedly'' has become a habit of the Samajwadi Party and its leaders.
He said Maurya's remarks about ''Baba Kedarnath, Baba Badrinath and Shri Jagannath Puri, the main centres of faith of Hindus, are not only controversial but also show his trivial mindset and petty politics''.
He said that the comment damaged the sensibilities of crores of Hindus in the country and Uttar Pradesh and instilled animosity in the community. He apologised for Maurya's comments.
''And, Akhilesh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party chief, should give his opinion on this subject and clarify if the Samajwadi Party agrees with it,'' Chaudhary tweeted.