2024-09-10 16:37:31
New Delhi : Vishwa Hindu Parishad held an important meeting on Sunday. The fact that the VHP held a meeting is not as important as the fact that 30 judges of the Supreme Court and High Court also attended it. The main agenda was the dispute over Gyanvapi in Kashi and Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura, Waqf Amendment Bill, forced or tempting religious conversion, liberation of temples from government control. The meeting of the VHP’s legal cell is very important in the sense that many ideological issues of the Sangh Parivar, whether it is the Mathura temple dispute or the Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath dispute, are still pending in different courts. It seems that after the construction of the grand Ram temple after the historic decision of the Supreme Court in the Ayodhya dispute, the Sangh Parivar is realizing that the legal path can prove to be more effective than agitation on historical disputes. According to a report in the English newspaper Indian Express, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal also attended the recent meeting of the VHP. The participation of retired judges of the Supreme Court and High Court in the meeting of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is important in the sense that many ideological issues of the Sangh Parivar are still pending in the courts. These include the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi dispute in Varanasi and the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Masjid Idgah dispute in Mathura. The Waqf Amendment Bill is currently under discussion, which has currently been sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee for discussion. In the last Parliament session, the Modi government introduced this bill in Parliament, but after opposition from the opposition and questions raised by some NDA allies, the bill was sent to the JPC. Apart from this, some anti-conversion laws introduced in different BJP-ruled states have also come under judicial review.
The English newspaper Indian Express quoted Vishwa Hindu Parishad president Alok Kumar as saying that the purpose of this meeting was to exchange views between retired judges and the VHP on issues facing society so that both can understand each other better. The Indian Express quoted the VHP chief as saying, ‘We had invited retired judges of the Supreme Court and High Court. Collective issues facing society – such as the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, handing back temples, handing over government-controlled temples (to society), conversion, etc. were discussed. Its purpose was a free exchange of views between judges and the VHP so that both can develop an understanding of each other.’
Regarding the meeting, VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal told the newspaper that it was a platform for exchange of views. He said, ‘Nationalism and Hindutva were discussed. Laws affecting Hindus, liberation of temples, religious conversion, cow slaughter and Waqf Board were discussed.’
Late on Sunday night, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal posted pictures of the VHP meeting on the social media platform X. He wrote, ‘Today, I participated in the Judge’s Meet ceremony organized by the legal cell of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and had a detailed discussion on topics related to judicial reforms related to the creation of a developed India. On this occasion, retired judges, other jurists, senior lawyers and other eminent intellectuals were present in the dignified presence of Vishwa Hindu Parishad President Shri Alok Kumar ji.’