SP affronts Adheenams, slams BJP for 'inviting radical Brahmins' for restoring Sengol

Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya on Sunday targeted the Narendra Modi government by claiming that only "fundamentalist Brahmin gurus" were invited for the installation of the sengol, a ceremonial sceptre, in the new parliament building.

He said if the BJP dispensation had faith in India's secularism and sovereign character, then priests of all religions practised in the country would have been invited to the inauguration ceremony.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building here on Sunday morning and installed the historic Sengol in the Lok Sabha chamber.

Amid Vedic chants by priests from Karnataka's Shringeri Math, the prime minister performed "Ganapati Homam" to invoke Gods to bless the inauguration of the new Parliament building. Modi prostrated before the Sengol and sought blessings from high priests of various adheenams in Tamil Nadu with the holy sceptre in hand. 

"It is extremely unfortunate that only fundamentalist Brahmin gurus of the south were called for the installation of the sengol. If the BJP government had faith in India as a secular sovereign nation, then all religious leaders of the country, such as Buddhist dharmacharyas (monks), Jain acharyas (sages), Guru Granthis, Muslim religious leaders (maulanas), Christian religious leaders (pastor), etc. would have been invited," Maurya said in a tweet in Hindi. 

"By not doing so, the BJP has shown its vile mentality and despicable mentality. The BJP government is walking on the path of autocracy by establishing the sengol and also trying to establish Brahminism by calling the Brahmin religious leaders of the South," he said. 

Adheenams have rich history of Tamil literature that worships Lord Shiva: Govt sources

Government sources said that the Samajwadi Party's allegations of Brahminism are 'comical and reek of ignorance'.

'These 'adheenams' are run by communities that come under Backward Caste and Other Backward Class categories. They have a rich history of Tamil literature that worships Lord Shiva. It is an insult to these holy Adheenams and to the diversity of Hinduism to make such comments,' sources added.

The prime minister was blessed by the Adheenams on Saturday, ahead of the 'Sengol' installation in the new Parliament House on Sunday. Addressing the Adheenams, the prime minister also underscored the role of great tradition like Adheenam in keeping the Tamil culture vibrant even after years of subjugation.

"All your institutions have a glorious history in terms of contribution to the nation. Now is the time to take this tradition forward and be inspired to work for the generations to come," Modi said, emphasising that the Adheenams have a very important role when the country is moving ahead with the goals of 2047.