Tip-toeing the 'Soft Hindutva' agenda of her party in a bid to shun its 'pro-Muslim' image, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is likely to visit the state capital after over a year with a `darshan' at Mankameshwar temple on coming Mahashivratri next week.
Interestingly, to ensure that the message should not go that she spared just some time for the `darshan' in the temple during her political visit to the city, the Congress leaders have spared almost a full day for the purpose and are planning another schedule for the next day.
Eyeing a better result for the party in the next assembly election and also to overcome the trauma of coalition politics with Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party in the last parliamentary elections, which was later dubbed by the BJP as an alliance only to consolidate Muslim vote bank, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tip-toed the `Soft Hindutva' approach through her recent kisan panchayats in Uttar Pradesh and also by making religious tour. She took a dip in the Sangam on Mauni Amavasya (a sacred day on which millions take a dip in the holy rivers across India) at Prayagraj.
Priyanka Vadra also paid obeisance at the famous Mankameshwar temple in the town. It is believed that the wishes of a person are fulfilled by paying obeisance at the temple. Congress president Sonia Gandhi had also visited the temple in 2001.
Vadra also met Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati. The Congress leader took the dip at the Sangam like an ordinary devotee, without any protocol, in view of the Mauni Amavasya bathing. She also had a brief boat ride in the river. Clad in a maroon kurta, she also offered coconut and flowers at the Sangam. She wore rudraksha beads on her wrist.
Interestingly, she willfully avoided making the tour 'political' by maintaining a distance from the media persons and also by not replying to their questions. She also offered flowers as a tribute to former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the Anand Bhavan and spent some time with the children at the orphanage there.
Just a day before Prayagraj's visit, Priyanka paid obeisance at the famous Shakambari Devi temple near Saharanpur where she was seen meditating for some time as the priests chanted hymns. The Congress leader then visited the Raipur Khanqah Dargah in Saharanpur where she offered a 'chadar' before addressing a well attended 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' there. She was seen carrying beads of rudraksha.
To woo the Dalits also, Priyanka just like in the last year, again visited the Sant Ravidas temple in Varanasi on Ravidas Jayanti last Saturday and also had langar (community feast) with other devotees. Later during her recent Mathura visit for the kisan rally, Priyanka visited Bankey Bihari temple and offered full prayers and chanted hymns.
Now, besides planning to offer prayers and in her remaining kisan panchayats in the state, Priyanka would come to Lucknow and visit Mankameshwar temple in Daliganj to offer prayers on occasion of Mahashivratri.
Interestingly, Priyanka's temple hopping and the dip at the holy Sangam has been praised by several Hindu seers, who are currently camping on the bank of the Ganga in view of the ongoing Magh Mela (an annual religious event).
''Congress may regain its past glory if its leaders keep visiting temples.... former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi also regularly visited temples,'' said a prominent seer after Priyanka's visit.
BJP leaders said that the temple visits by Priyanka proved that Congress was following the path shown by the saffron party. However, close aides reacted saying mixing personal faith with politics was uncalled for as the Congress was a party for everyone, of each religion and caste.
They claimed that the rudraksha beads worn by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was not new in the family and even late Indira Gandhi wore it in her regular public appearances and so trying to search for some other meaning would not be fair to her.
