MP turf war begins on RSS land

The administration had moved to acquire the land in possession of the RSS on behalf of the temple trust to make arrangements for the Simhasta. The RSS moved court and the matter had been hanging fire since August 12, till Digvijay learnt of it on December 29.

He raised the issue at a press conference the next day and released a letter addressed to RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan, in which the Sangh was asked to give up the land for a religious purpose. That was the beginning.

Addressing a rally, Uma today took up the matter with her own brand of rhetoric. ‘‘Digvijay has raised the issue despite knowing that the land was offered to the temple whenever required. He has lost his mind. He is going the way of Arjun Singh, who was a bigger leader when he took on the Sangh. Arjun Singh went on to lose an Assembly election to a vegetable seller from Satna. Such sins are always punished,’’ she said.

‘‘The CM is unnecessarily raising the bogey of communal violence at a time when perfect peace prevails in the state,’’ Uma said, adding that Digvijay’s concept of Bharatiyata was another version of Hindutva.

According to Ujjain Collector Bhopal Singh, who is also chairman of the temple trust, discussions with the RSS at various levels for handover of land had proved fruitless. The RSS claims that the trust’s requirements could easily be met by partial donation of land free of cost, so there is no need for the government to waste money acquiring it.

In May 2001, the temple trust asked the administration to acquire the land to make permanent arrangements for the Simhasta. Singh said the arrangements would need construction over the entire 15,000 sq metres and not the 1.5 bigahs the RSS was giving away free.

When the district planning committee decided in November to acquire the land, the RSS moved the civil court. After further appeals, the administration ordered acquisition on July 10, 2002. The RSS moved the high court on July 18 and asked for a compensation of Rs 23.52 crore.

Digvijay’s letter to the RSS chief cashed in on this. It said: ‘‘…I am a believer in Sanatan Dharm. Sanatan Dharmis have provided all necessary help and gifts for religious purposes. I am surprised the RSS is asking for crores from the temple trust because this money will have to be given from the offerings made by devotees… Is the unnatural demand for compensation right? Every Hindu expects an answer from you,’’ the letter said.

The RSS finally broke its silence on January 8. Now, given the prominence the issue has acquired, local reactions are carefully worded.

Pandit Anandshankar Vyas, a prominent religious figure and member of the temple trust, said: ‘‘With the number of devotees increasing, the land is needed. The dispute is meaningless as only the interest of devotees should be kept in mind. Only the politicians can say how things reached this point. If we intervene, we would be accused of taking sides. Politicisation vitiates the situation like in Ayodhya.’’