Chennai: After RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks that rapes were prevalent in India and not in Bharat, the VHP on Saturday blamed the 'western model' of lifestyle for growing incidents of sexual assault on women including rape, saying cities were losing the values. VHP International Advisor Ashok Singhal termed as "alarming" the western model of living, which he said had been imbibed from the US.
"This western model is alarming. What is happening is we have imbibed the US. We have lost all the values we had in cities," Singhal told reporters in response to a question on the growing rape incidents in the country. He particularly faulted the live-in relationship style when he said "it is not only foreign to our culture, but also hostile."
He claimed that Indians lived a life of 'purity' prior to the arrival of British rulers and said 'purity' of virginity, described as 'brahmacharyam' by him, was being disturbed. "Virginity was preserved. But the purity has been totally disturbed (now)... we are losing it," he said.
To a question on the controversial statement by a Madhya Pradesh Minister that women should not cross the "Lakshman rekha" lest they should get affected, he said "we do not agree with it." He demanded that India be renamed as Bharat as it was "our real identity" connected to culture and carried spiritual overtones. "We are a spiritual country," he said.
On the contentious Ramjanma Bhoomi issue, he reiterated VHP's stand on building a temple and said a congregation of sadhus and Hindu saints in Chennai had resolved to this effect. Holding that it was not a matter to be solved by the court, the VHP leader said "the Parliament has to and will be forced to take a decision" on constructing a Ram temple at Ayodhya.
Speaking on the upcoming Kumbhmela, he said this time Buddhist monks and Sikh saints including the Dalai Lama had given their consent to participate in the congregation which he said was likely to be attended by around 10 crore devotees. Meanwhile, the meeting of Hindu seers and heads of mutts adopted a slew of resolutions including asking Centre to hand over the site concerned in Ayodhya to Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Trust to build a temple, enact laws banning cow slaughter and bring in anti-conversion laws.
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