Congress leader and the Peethadheeshwar of Kalki Dham, Acharya Pramod Krishnam, invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the foundation-laying ceremony of Kalki Dham in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, on February 19, which the Prime Minister has graciously accepted. Since the pictures of their meeting surfaced on social media, Acharya Pramod Krishnam has been making headlines. Rana Yashwant, the Editor-in-Chief of India News, has had an exclusive conversation with Acharya Pramod Krishnam.
Q: You invited Prime Minister, shared pictures, and the Prime Minister accepted your invitation. How was the meeting between you two?
A: The divine abode of the incarnation of God, where Lord Vishnu’s tenth incarnation, Shri Kalki Bhagwan, is to appear, will be known as Sambhal. The establishment of Kalki Dham is taking place even before the arrival of the divine avatar, as mentioned in the scriptures. This is the world’s first Dham being established even before the arrival of the Lord’s avatar. As soon as the confirmation of the foundation-laying ceremony on February 19 was received, the sentiments of millions of followers of Sanatan Dharma, lakhs of devotees of Shri Kalki, were that just as all the work for Lord Rama’s temple has been carried out by Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, similarly, all the work for Kalki Dham should also be done by Prime Minister Modi. With this sentiment and holy emotion, I met Prime Minister Modi. He graciously accepted it with great simplicity and humility, expressing gratitude. I am thankful to the successful Prime Minister Modi for accepting our invitation. We will always be grateful to him.
Q: Meeting the Prime Minister seems natural for you. As the Prime Minister of the country, you invited him. Did you also invite Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi?
A: Divine abodes, temples, and pilgrimage sites do not belong to any one person, party, caste, or society, nor do they belong to any state. They belong to everyone.
Q: This is not my question; it is a question from some leaders within your party, which I am presenting here. You are a Congress leader, contested elections twice, considered a mentor to Priyanka Gandhi. Your role has been significant in the party, and there are speculations about your role in the party’s national presidency election. You have a long association with the party. Some party leaders are saying that you should have first invited the party leaders before extending invitations to others.
A: Kalki Dham temple belongs neither to Acharya Pramod Krishnam nor to any political party. Kalki Dham is a place of Sanatan Dharma, a divine abode. The nation and religion are interconnected; therefore, my invitation is to the Prime Minister of India, not to the leader of the BJP. The devotees of Kalki Dham, those who believe in Sanatan Dharma, felt that the foundation-laying ceremony of Kalki Dham should be honored by the successful Prime Minister of India. I requested a meeting with the Prime Minister’s office, and I got the time to meet the Prime Minister within two days. While I will personally try to invite leaders from all parties, I will also extend a personal invitation to them. However, if someone does not provide me with a time for the meeting, how can I extend an invitation?
Q: So, your party leaders are not giving you time to meet?
A: I have been trying to meet Rahul Gandhi for the past year. I have not found time. He might be very busy. He is still on an outstation tour, remaining busy. Still, I will appeal to him to come.
Q: Acharya Ji, the indications for you are very clear. The Prime Minister, who is continuously working and is busy, took out time to meet you within two days. The pictures of both of you convey a sense of closeness. Then, extending your invitation and him accepting it, the tweet from the Prime Minister also confirms it. So, is there something you see in this?
A: I am fulfilling my duty and doing it with a sacred emotion. I want to invite everyone and am inviting everyone. But a personal meeting is necessary for extending a personal invitation. There should be a definite date for the meeting. I have asked several times to meet the leaders of my party, but since I returned from the Ram Temple inauguration ceremony, Congress senior leaders are not giving me time for a meeting. This could be due to two reasons – either they are very busy, or they may feel uncomfortable meeting me.
Q: He objects to many of your statements. He says that when a new building for the Parliament is being constructed, Acharya Pramod Krishnam, by taking a different line from the party, says that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should inaugurate it. When Congress faces defeat in three states, Pramod Krishnam says it is the result of opposition to Sanatan. When the invitation for the Ayodhya temple comes, the party rejects it, and Pramod Krishnam stands against the party. They repeatedly say that Pramod Krishnam has chosen his separate path.
A: Whether it is a big party or the country, the first thing is to make a decision. If some leaders of the party make the wrong decision, it is not necessary to accept them. Expressing one’s opinion is a matter of internal democracy. This is the party of Nehru, Indira. Even here, people used to speak against Indira within the party. They spoke against Rajiv within the party. In our party, 23 people wrote a letter against Rahul Gandhi, against Sonia Gandhi, called the Group of 23, and they are still in the party, holding significant positions. Sharad Pawar raised questions against Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin. Today, we are forming an alliance with him. Shiv Sena demolished the Babri Masjid, took pride in it, and now we are negotiating with them. So, Acharya Pramod Krishnam doesn’t have the freedom to express his views? Everyone else has the freedom. The essence of politics is dialogue, contact, and coordination.
Q: I am placing three things in front of you. You mentioned opposition from many people. You said they opposed it, but still, they are in the party. Acharya Pramod Krishnam chooses many occasions for opposition. Those people might have chosen one or two occasions, but Acharya Pramod Krishnam chooses many occasions. Now Acharya Pramod Krishnam says that he cannot compromise on Ram and the nation. So, what is the problem with joining the BJP now? It seems like the entire character, the entire culture is of the BJP, so what is the problem with going with the BJP?
A: The BJP is a big party in this country, a ruling party. There is no aversion at all. If the BJP wishes to and invites me to join, I will consider it. Or if I request to join the BJP, the BJP will consider it. The BJP has not offered me anything. I have not submitted any application to join the BJP. So, where does this come from? Is going to the inauguration of the Ram Temple against the policies of the Congress party? Is inviting the Prime Minister of India for the foundation-laying ceremony of Shri Kalki Dham against the Congress party? Is this my crime? If the inauguration ceremony of India’s new Parliament is held, and I say, “Don’t boycott it because this Parliament belongs to India,” if not participating in the inauguration ceremony of India’s Parliament is against the policies of the Congress party, then is it a crime on my part? And if it is my crime, meeting the Prime Minister of India is my crime, going to the Ram Temple ceremony is my crime, talking about Ram, talking about the nation is a crime, then I am ready to face any punishment for this. I cannot compromise on Ram and the nation.
Q: If all Congress leaders sit together and provide evidence, with the same tone and manner in which you speak, it’s possible that you might not receive a verbal response. However, in the end, you said that if it’s a sin, you’ll commit it. So, the party might pave the way for you. Do you feel a bit uncomfortable with such decisiveness?
A: Any political party operates based on its principles. Some people are given the responsibility to run the party. The dilemma for the Congress is that most of the people in charge of running the party don’t understand India, its culture, sacrifice, and the tapasya (penance) associated with it. They don’t understand the principles of India. If they understood, they wouldn’t reject the invitation to the foundation-laying ceremony of Lord Ram’s temple. Those who reject this invitation cannot be true well-wishers of the Congress party. I am a well-wisher of the Congress party, and that’s why I am saying that if you want to do politics in India, you should not hurt the sentiments of the people of India. You should not reject the invitation to the foundation-laying ceremony of Lord Ram’s temple. India is the center of devotion and faith. Opposition to the sentiments of the people of India will cost you dearly. You should not make statements that insult the sentiments of the people of India. I am speaking in the interest of the party.
Q:: You have been mentioned by Congress leaders for various reasons. Rahul Gandhi’s padyatra was called tourism by you. When the party decided on Ayodhya, you went there yourself. There is a decision regarding the Parliament building, and you personally visited it. How long will they be troubled by you?
A: The question is not about being troubled. The question is about what is right and what is wrong. It should be discussed in the interest of the party. I am speaking in the interest of the party. Do not reject the invitation to the foundation-laying ceremony of Lord Ram’s temple, I said. I said, do not align with those who talk about tearing pages of the Ramcharitmanas. Do not align with those who want to erase Hinduism. India is the center of faith and devotion. If you are not with Rama, you are not with India. Those who are not with Rama cannot be with India.
Q: One decision came from the court. Knowledgeable people, opening the vaults, are allowed to perform rituals. Do you welcome this decision?
A: India is a democratic country. We have a judiciary. There might be a delay in justice, but justice will be served. If a decision has been made regarding the birthplace of Lord Rama, the decision made by the judiciary, I trust the judiciary, and I will accept it. Every Indian should accept it. We should trust our judiciary. If we don’t trust our judiciary, what right do we have to live in India?
Q: One Member of Parliament from your party, D.K. Shivakumar, said that there is an accounting of who contributes how much in South India. The distribution of lower taxes is happening there. Southern states will become a separate nation.
A: Anyone who makes such a statement is a traitor. A case of treason should be filed against them. Talking about the division of India based on caste, language, or region leads to division. Therefore, I want to appeal to the Prime Minister of India, the Home Minister, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the honorable President of the country, and the people of the country. I want to say that action should be taken against those who talk about dividing India in the name of religion, language, or caste. Cases should be filed against them, whether they belong to any party.
