Mohan Bhagwat to visit Tripura in August to inaugurate temple: Shantikali Ashram chief

Shantikali Ashram operates under the Shantikali Mission Society, which runs a chain of 24 temples across the state, named after Acharya Shantikali, a religious preacher, who was shot dead by insurgents in 2000.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat (File)

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat will visit Tripura on August 27 to inaugurate a temple of the Shantikali Ashram at Sarbong in Amarpur of the state’s Gomati district, 85 km from the capital.

Shantikali Ashram operates under the Shantikali Mission Society, which runs a chain of 24 temples across the state, named after Acharya Shantikali, a religious preacher, who was shot dead by insurgents in 2000.

Speaking to reporters at the Agartala Press Club Wednesday, Swami Chittaranjan, who heads the mission since the death of Acharya Shantikali, said he invited RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to inaugurate the new Shiv-Parvati temple at Amarpur on August 27 and the latter has accepted the invitation.

“We are thankful to him for accepting our invitation. RSS is working to protect Hindu religion. In Tripura, our guruji was shot dead by insurgents in 2000. It was the kindness of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Sangh that I got a chance to preach Hinduism,” the religious guru said.

The temple will be inaugurated on the day Acharya Shantikali was shot dead 22 years back. A senior RSS functionary, who didn’t wish to be named, confirmed the RSS chief’s tour and said he would be arriving in Agartala on August 26, visit Shantikali Ashram at Amarpur and leave the state on the same day.

Other religious leaders like Swami Ravi Shankar, Swami Vidyananda from Gujarat and others are also likely to join the event in Tripura, Swami Chittaranjan said.

He also expressed concern over the alleged religious conversions in the hills of Tripura, “where hostels, schools and prayer houses are being set up to attract people”.

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Swami Chittaranjan also said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and other Hindu religious leaders are concerned about conversion allegedly happening in the tribal hamlets.

The Shantikali Ashram has close relations with the RSS, different Hindutva bodies and other Hindu religious organisations. Swami Chittaranjan of the Shantikali Ashram was also seen in a few major gatherings, including a public meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year, when Modi inaugurated the new terminal building of Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport.

In May this year, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha visited Shantikali Ashram. Prior to that, former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb inaugurated an English medium school run by the Shantikali Ashram authorities in February this year, when he was still holding his post.