Why sermons on Lord Ram at Rajasthan’s Raj Bhavan have triggered a row

A Ram Katha event organised at Raj Bhavan in Rajasthan by Governor Kalraj Mishra has triggered a controversy with civil rights groups objecting. The five-day programme, which started on Saturday, is presided over by a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak and is the first of its kind organised at Raj Bhavan. What’s the event? Sant Vijay Kaushal from Uttar Pradesh’s Vrindavan has been invited by Mishra to deliver sermons on Lord Ram at the Raj Bhawan premises from 27 August to 31 August. Every day, the saint reads the Ram Katha from 4 pm to 7 pm, which is being telecast on his YouTube channel. The governor offered prayers to Lord Ram and the holy book, Ramcharitmanas, on Saturday, before the religious discourse began. “We are fortunate to have Sant Vijay Kaushal Ji {among us} to give us the nectar of Ram Katha at Raj Bhawan,” he said, according to The Hindu, adding that the story of Lord Ram would help inculcate righteousness among them. Apart from the sermons, a Bhakti arts exhibition is also organised at Raj Bhavan, where devotional paintings and other religious artworks are on display. Why has the programme raised eyebrows? Civil rights groups have said that the event undermines the secular values of the Constitution. Human rights organisation People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has said that religious events at Raj Bhavan are beyond the limits of the constitutional provisions and asked the Rajasthan government to shift the programme outside the governor’s residence. Kavita Srivastava, general secretary, PUCL, said in a statement that it is “against the dignity of the constitutional post of Governor to conduct a religious event on Raj Bhavan premises”. The PUCL said that was neither against Ram Katha nor against Lord Ram or Sant Vijay Kaushal Maharaj. Instead, it argued that their “protest is against the dignity of the constitutional office, which has taken oath under Article 157 of the Constitution and to organise a religious event in the Raj Bhavan”. The civil liberties organisation appealed to the governor to shift the event to “any other public place” and added that “neither the Raj Bhavan nor the state government should sponsor this event”.

राजभवन में वृंदावन के सुप्रसिद्ध संत श्री विजय कौशल जी महाराज द्वारा राम कथा का शुभारम्भ हुआ। pic.twitter.com/BxZPRdt9Ic

— Raj Bhavan Rajasthan (@RajBhavanJaipur) August 27, 2022

What is the government saying? The Congress-led Rajasthan government has remained mum on the matter. However, the programme has found the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BJP MP from Jaipur Ramcharan Bohra and senior party leader and Rajya Sabha member Ghanshyam Tiwari attended the Ram Katha event on Saturday. Who can attend the event? The Raj Bhavan had earlier issued invitation cards for the programme. However, on Saturday it announced that it was open to all. A Raj Bhawan spokesperson told The Hindu that the Ram Katha would be organised as a “simple ceremony” for five days, which would be open to the public, and Sant Vijay Kaushal agreed to deliver the discourse at a special request made by the Governor. Any person can enter the premises from one of its gates after a security check is conducted and attend the discourse. What is the RSS connection? Sant Vijay Kaushal is a former RSS pracharak. Governor Mishra too was associated with the Sangh, starting his political career with the BJP’s ideological mentor in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. He worked as a convenor of “Sampurna Kranti (Total Revolution)” which was started by Jayprakash Narayan in eastern UP. Mishra was the BJP’s unit chief and has served as a minister in the state and the Centre. He was appointed as the governor of Rajasthan in 2019, reports The Indian Express. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.