Swami Prasad Maurya, the national secretary of the Samajwadi Party and a former minister, has stirred up controversy by claiming that revered Hindu Temples and pilgrimage sites like Badrinath Dham and Kedarnath temple were originally Buddhist religious places until the 8th century. He further alleged that these temples were built upon the ruins of the said Buddhist shrines.
“If a survey is conducted, it should be conducted at the place of temples first,” he said.
“These Hindu Temples were once Buddhist Monasteries and centres of Buddhist education. They were destroyed to build Mandirs,” he stated.
This remark comes in the wake of the ongoing Gyanvapi episode, where a case is being heard in the Allahabad High Court regarding a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi campus in Varanasi.
Swami Prasad Maurya’s remarks have added fuel to the already contentious issue surrounding the Gyanvapi mosque, with claims from the temple side that there is a structure beneath the dome, prompting demands for a scientific survey to ascertain the truth.
During the debate, advocate Vishnu Jain, representing the temple side, argued in favour of a scientific survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to determine the presence of a temple beneath the disputed site.
ASGI Shashi Prakash Singh responded by affirming that the survey would involve thorough examination and photography, ensuring that no harm would be inflicted upon the property.
Maurya’s statement has garnered significant attention and criticism from various quarters, with many demanding a thorough examination of historical evidence to substantiate or refute Swami Prasad Maurya’s claims.