Akhara Parishad seeks place in Ram temple trust

ABAP chief Mahant Narendra Giri made the demand before Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat, whom he met in Chitrakoot recently. 

ABAP is the apex-decision making body of the 13 recognised Hindu religious akharas or monastic orders of the country. 

"On behalf of ABAP, I have asked Bhagwat that the Parishad should be included in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The ABAP president and general secretary should be included in the Trust," he told reporters. 

He further said that "Apart from demanding inclusion of prominent seers in the trust, we have told Bhagwat that soon different groups of seers of ABAP would visit various parts of the country and spread awareness against rising cases of religious conversion. We have also demanded that a strong policy should be made to stop this evil of religious conversion." 

Meanwhile, the ABAP has supported the proposed new population policy being brought by the Yogi Adityanath government. 

"Population explosion is a matter of deep concern. The government should come out with a strict law to control the population and the same should be binding on every citizen living in the state as well as the entire country," Mahant Narendra Giri said. 

He said, "The rapid population explosion in the country and in the state is also the reason for many major problems. Therefore, it is very important that the ever-increasing population should be stopped immediately." 

The ABAP chief appealed to the Muslim religious leaders to 'accept the proposed law with sincerity and make people of their religion aware of the need of having fewer children'. 

"The increase in population is directly affecting the quality of education and medical system in the country and the state. On the other hand, Muslim religious leaders call a child 'gift of Allah'. The law on controlling population should be so strict that if a third child is born to any couple, they should not have the right to vote nor the right to contest elections. Also, Aadhaar cards should not be issued to such people," ABAP president demanded. 

Giri asserted, "Three marriages are allowed in Muslim society, so wives may be three, but children should be only two in the entire family." 

The Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission released the first draft of the proposed population control bill titled -- The Uttar Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilization and Welfare) Bill, 2021 -- last week which has provisions to debar people who have more than two children from the benefits of government schemes and perks to those who follow the two-child policy.