Varahi Declaration: Pawan administers pledge to save Sanatana Dharma, respect all faiths

Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan showing the ‘Varahi Declaration’ before administering the pledge to the public in Tirupati on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: KV Poornachandra Kumar

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan has given a clarion call to people to protect Sanatana Dharma, which, he alleges, has come under attack in the recent years. At the same time, he has appealed to them to respect all faiths in the country.

After offering prayers at the Sri Venkateswara Temple at Tirumala and participating in a ritual that was apparently aimed at “ablutions of the sins” allegedly committed at the temple in the backdrop of the ghee adulteration issue, Mr. Pawan Kalyan got onto his ‘Varahi’ campaign vehicle to reach the Jyotirao Phule Circle in Tirupati on October 3 (Thursday) to address a huge gathering.

He dwelt at length on the “uneasy silence” maintained by a few on the “slanderous, inflammatory and demeaning” comments made against the Sanatana Dharma.

Making a jibe at the politicians and celebrities who raise a hue and cry over attacks on other faiths and maintain silence when Sanatana Dharma was at the receiving end, Mr. Pawan Kalyan dubbed it as “pseudo secularism,” and vowed to raise his voice against such a “biased approach.”

“Attack on Sanatana Dharma has never been condemned. A wrong is always a wrong, even if nobody condemns it. You want to be politically correct, but I want to speak out the truth,” the Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief said, in a veiled reference to a section of politicians. “Secularism is not one-way, it is two-way. Give respect and take respect,” he reiterated.

Reading out the ‘Varahi Declaration’, Mr. Pawan Kalyan appealed to the “Sanatanis” (Hindus) to rise above regional, linguistic and other barriers and raise their voice against the attacks on Sanatana Dharma, while respecting other faiths.

The declaration also sought enactment of a strong law at the national level to protect Sanatana Dharma. The Act should also respond in a uniform manner to the attacks on all faiths.

Certification

Mr. Pawan Kalyan also wanted an exclusive certification to ensure purity of the ingredients meant to be used in all the temples, which assumed significance in the wake of alleged use of adulterated ghee in making the Tirumala prasadams.

In a bid to alienate the forces disturbing communal harmony, he said, “There should be non-cooperation to individuals and organisations that defame or spread hatred against Sanatana Dharma.”

Mr. Kalyan also suggested the need for temples to evolve not only as spiritual hubs, but also as centres for promoting art and culture, education, economy, environmental conservation and public welfare.