4 min readLucknowJan 28, 2025 02:45 AM IST
First published on: Jan 28, 2025 at 02:45 AM IST
Various akharas and seers from across the country who held a ‘Dharam Sansad’ (religious assembly) at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj Monday called for the repeal of the Places of Worship Act and doing away with the Waqf Board.
Also, passing a resolution for the formation of a “Sanatan Hindu Board 2025” with the Shankaracharyas of all maths on board, they gave a call for taking “Mathura, Sambhal and Kashi in one go”, referring to the ongoing disputes between the Hindu and Muslim sides over religious structures in the three Uttar Pradesh towns.
The Places of Worship Act prohibits the conversion of places of worship and maintains their religious character as of August 15, 1947.
Terming the passing of the resolution a significant step towards the declaration of the country as a “Hindu Rashtra”, they urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to give them two gifts before the culmination of the Maha Kumbh — formation of the Sanatan Board and ‘kalyan’ (as an antiphrasis for death) of the Waqf Board.
The resolution proposed that the “Sanatan Board” will work as an independent body that will work towards “freeing temples from government” and “stopping religious conversion” among other issues.
Emphasising the need for the “Sanatan Board”, Jagatguru Swami Vasudevacharya, a spiritual leader, said, “Mathura, Sambhal aur Vishwanath, teenon lenge ek saath. Sanatan Board banne do” (We will take Mathura, Sambhal and Vishwanath in one go.. let the Sanatan Board take shape once).”
Preacher Devki Nandan Thakur said, “Ram Mandir to little bit jhanki hai..Mathura ka poora function abhi baaki hai..Kashi bhi abhi adhi hai..Kashi mein baba ka poora damru bajna baki hai” (Ram Mandir is just a trailer. Mathura and Kashi still need to be done. Only half of the task has been accomplished).”
Thanking PM Modi and CM Yogi for a successful holding of the Maha Kumbh, he said, “Is bar 144 saal bad Maha Kumbh aya hai..Abki baar do dakshina deke bhej do..Pehli dakshina, Sanatan Board ka nirman… doosri dakshina Waqf Board ka kalyan (the most auspicious Maha Kumbh of 144 years is taking place this time. You should give us two gifts this time — form the Sanatan Board and do away with the Waqf Board).
The Sanatan Board, he claimed, will give powers to declare Bharat as a Hindu Rashtra.
He also urged PM Modi to move the numerical strength of his party and its allies in the government to repeal the Places of Worship Act. “Sanantan Board Hindu Rashtra ke liye pehli seedhi hogi (the Sanantan Board will
be the first step towards the formation of the Hindu Rashtra,” said Thakur.
Once the Sanatan Board is formed they would not have to trouble courts on issues like Krishna Janmabhoomi, he further claimed. “Agar Sanatan Board ka nirman hua to hamein high court ya Supreme Court ko pareshan nahi karna padega… humara court decide karega ki Mathura hamari hai aur yahan hamara mandir banega (once the Sanatan Board is formed then we will not have to bother the high courts or the Supreme Court.. Our own court will decide whether Mathura is ours or not).”
The resolution passed in the Dharam Sansad, he added, will be sent to the government and it will be up to them to call their representatives for a discussion or propose certain amendments in the proposal.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath serves food to sadhus at Sangam in Prayagraj. (PTI) 
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