Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed shock over their project, BJP workers shelved scheduled inauguration of a temple dedicated to Modi in Rajkot and also removed “Modi idol” from the premises on Thursday.
After Modi said on social-media website Twitter that he was “appalled” and “shocked” after seeing news about the temple being built in his name, BJP workers removed bust of Modi from the structure they had named NaMo temple. (NaMo is a popular acronym for Narendra Modi).
The Indian Express was the first to report about the temple a year ago on February 13, 2014. The temple was built opposite Hapaliya Park on Kotharia Road of Rajkot city by Oum Yuva Group,an organisation of youths led by Shankar Patel who is vice president of BJP youth wing for Rajkot taluka.
“When the word came from the person whom we believe to be a god, there was no question of disobeying it. We have removed the idol. This temple will now be dedicated to Bharat Mata only,” Patel, who runs a paan-cum-tea-stall near the temple, told The Indian Express.
(Source: Express photo by Gopal Kateshiya)The temple stands on government land and therefore an encroachment. Patel, who runs a paan-cum-tea-stall nearby, claims he and his group have been worshiping Modi by placing his photograph in the
hut-like temple with wicket-walls for the last 11 years.
The BJP worker said the group was disappointed but will follow instructions given by Modi. “We had worked day and night for this and now it will not happen. Therefore, disappointment is obvious. But Modi is in our hearts. We have called a meeting of our 300 group members in the evening to decide what to do of the idol. If one of us decides to install it in his home, nobody should have any objection,” Patel said.
The group has spent Rs1.7 lakh to get the marble bust sculpted by a sculptor from Orissa. It has even distributed invites informing Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Mohan Kundariya would throw open the temple formally on February 15 and that Gujarat Water Supply Minister Vijay Rupani other local BJP leaders would remain present. The inauguration was to take place along with a mass wedding ceremony for 11 couples from the poor family.
(Source: Express photo by Gopal Kateshiya)“Though the temple inauguration stands cancelled, we shall go ahead with the mass marriage ceremony. We have been organising these weddings for the last 10 years,” Patel, whose stall had hosted a chai pe charcha (discussion over a cup of tea) programme of continued…
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