“I agree with the validity of the VHP’s demands,” he said
LUCKNOW: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has been demanding construction of the Surya temple in memory of Raja Suheldev, who fought against Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud in the 11th century.
VHP claims that the shrine was built after demolishing the temple. Yogi said the VHP’s demands would be fulfilled.
“I agree with the validity of the VHP’s demands,” he said.
BJP has raised the Suheldev temple issue Post-2014 election victory as well. Then, just before the UP elections, the saffron party entered into an alliance with the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, founded by Om Prakash Rajbhar.
His party won four seats out of eight seats which his party was given to contest. Rajbhars are OBCs and considered key to elections in east UP.
Speaking at VHP’s ‘Hindu Vijayutsav’ programme in Lucknow to mark the victory of Raja Suheldev over Ghazi Masud, who was the nephew and army general of Mahmud of Ghazni, the CM sought to rename Lucknow’s Sainik School after Raja Suheldev as well.
“There’s nobody in the country who would not give Ashfaqullah Khan, Abdul Hameed and APJ Abdul Kalam their due honour, but we will have to decide whether Ghazni, Ghauri, Khilji, Babar and Aurangzeb deserve any regard,” said Yogi.
“Ghazni and his nephew plundered the country and demolished monasteries and temples to divide the country,” he said. “After successive invasions, the country forgot heroes like Suheldev who united many smaller kingdoms.”