At Gorakhnath temple, PM skips Ram temple

Gorakhpur: Despite all the ingredients to spice up the event at Gorakhnath temple on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi completely stayed away from treading the contentious path of Ram temple talk. Instead, he appreciated seers and saints taking up social issues.
Those present as Modi's audience were champions of Ram temple movement like Jagadguru Rambhadracharya, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Mahant Suresh Das, etc.The occasion too was installation of the statute of Mahant Awaidhyanath, who was not only a champion of the Ram temple movement during his lifetime, but also headed a high-power committee on temple construction.
Though Modi had a brief chat with Rambhadracharya in person, it is unclear whether the priest from Chitrakoot take up the temple issue with the Prime Minister.
From the podium, the Prime Minister praised the saints for their growing involvement with "swachhta abhiyan" and toilet missions, etc.
Jagadguru Rambhadracharya had been vocal in his demand for getting a grand Ram temple build at the disputed site in Ayodhya and had recently threatened to immolate himself during the 78th birthday celebration of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.
Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, in fact, had led the campaign for Ram temple movement and has been making efforts to launch another campaign after the death of VHP patron Ashok Singhal.
Unveiling the statute of Mahant Awaidhyanath, the Prime Minister said: "I knew Mahant Avaidyanath even before I was in politics and had thus known about the Nath community for a long time. The Gorakhnath temple has lived up to the great traditions since ages," the PM said.
The PM added that BJP MP Yogi Adityanath, who has become the temple's head priest after the death of Mahant Awaidhyanath, was one of the jewels in the crown of the great tradition.
In the '90s, Mahant Awaidhyanath had been at the forefront of the Ram temple movement, which had been carried forward with equal zeal by his disciple and present Mahant Yogi Adityanath.