BJP MLA ‘purifies’ Congress turncoat councillors with Gangajal, ‘gomutra’ in Rajasthan

The BJP had removed sitting JMCH Mayor Munesh Gurjar following charges of corruption against her, replacing her with its own pick of Kusum Yadav, propped up with the support of seven Congress turncoats and one independent to cross the halfway mark. On Tuesday, the eight of them joined the BJP. On Wednesday, before Yadav took charge, the JMCH premises, the councillors and JMCH officers were “purified” by Balmukund Acharya.

A first-time legislator from Jaipur’s Hawa Mahal Assembly, Balmukund Acharya is known among the locals as the mahant of the popular Hathoj Dham temple.

“We have purified it with Gangajal and removed all impurities. And after prayers with Vedic mantras, behenji (the new Mayor) has assumed charge on this navami date. Now there will be an environment of purity in the municipal corporation,” the mahant said. The Mayor assumed charge with recitation of Hanuman Chalisa and mantras and chants of Jai Shri Ram.

On the Congress councillors lending support to the BJP, he said, “Unko Gangajal pila diya hai. Sab Gangajal, gomutra pee chuke hain aur Vedic mantron ka uccharan unke kaanon mein ja chuka hai. Ab woh poorntah sanatani ho chuke hain (They have been fed Gangajal and gomutra. The Vedic mantras have been chanted into their ears and now they are wholly Sanatanis). And as Sanatanis, they are with us to beautify this city.”

He said that even officials of the municipal corporation have been “purified”. “Adhikari ab tak ashuddhi mein chal rahe the (They were impure so far). They were compelled to do things like this (corruption). Now they have been ridden of corruption.”

Asked whether the JMCH officials were also given Gangajal and gomutra, he said “Gangajal gomutra aaj sabko pilaya hai tabhi toh pravesh kiya hai (Gangajal and gomutra has been fed to everyone before (the Mayor) assumes charge). In our culture, Gangajal and gomutra are fed so that in case you have committed any crimes, you are free of them now. Now you are sanatani, work with purity…”

Talking to The Indian Express, Balmukund Acharya said, “I sprinkled Gangajal and gomutra in the JMC office as there was corruption. From today, JMCH is corruption-free.”

He said he carries a bottle which has a mix of the two. “I keep it with me in my car and drink it daily,” he said, adding that he sprinkled it on the councillors and “they can’t say that the dash of water didn’t touch them”.

Manoj Mudgal, one of the councillors who was “purified”, said, “He was sprinkling Gangajal to rid the corporation of corruption and negativity and for its purification. He sprinkled it in the Mayor’s office, then the Mayor’s cabin, and we were in PA’s room when he sprinkled it on us. It is normal in Hindu religion, Gangajal and gomutra is sprinkled whenever there is havan… it is for swachta, it is sanskaar. It is not a big deal.”

Jyoti Chauhan, another councillor who was there, said, “What can we say, he is our elder, our senior. He sprinkled Gangajal in the entire JMC Heritage head office. He was saying that he is ridding it of corruption, that he is cleaning the dirt (of corruption).”

Congress councillor Uttam Sharma said: “He was doing it in the entire corporation. Fortunately, we were in the room when he came and started spraying it on all of us. But his intention was not to make us drink Gangajal — the councillors are not corrupt that we need to be purified. The whole premises of the corporation was corrupt.”

He said that when the councillors, including him, were sprinkled with the mix, “people misinterpreted it, but Balmukund Acharya ji did the right thing”.