'PM Modi has done a lot for Buddhism': Buddhist leader Bhikkhu Sanghasena expresses gratitude

Narendra Modi. Pic/AFP

Leaders of the Buddhist community have come out in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the remark made by Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge regarding PM Modi's "faith" in Buddhism, in relation to the Ram Mandir inauguration earlier this year.

Venerable Bhikkhu Sanghasena, founder and president of Mahabodhi International Meditation Center expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for what he has done for the Buddhist people in India and said that no other government has supported the Buddhist cause in India.

"I want to express my sincere gratitude to PM Narendra Modi in my capacity for what he has done for the Buddhist people in India. I don't remember how many PMs and governments, earlier, have given and supported the Buddhist cause in India. PM Modi has done a lot for Buddhism," he said.

"He has laid the foundation stone of the International Buddhist Centre in Lumbini and has given us a special flight to let Buddha relics to different countries like Thailand. Wherever he goes he talks about Buddhism. In the United Nations he said 'Bharat ne duniya ko Buddha diya hai, yuddh nahi', "Sanghasena added.

Another Buddhist Monk, Norbu Negi from Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala said that it would be wrong to say that Prime Minister Modi does not have faith in Buddhism adding that the workers of the ruling government help them in their functions here.

"It would be wrong to say that PM Modi does not have faith in Buddhism. PM Modi makes a phone call to Dalai Lama on his birthday every year and the Modi government and their party workers also help us and participate whenever we have some functions of Buddhism over here," Negi said.

The Congress chief stirred a fresh row with remarks on Buddhism and PM Modi during an interview with News 24 earlier in the day.

In the interview, Kharge, who is a follower of Buddhism, delved into the inauguration ceremony of Buddha Vihar in Karnataka's Gulbarga in 2009, which was established by the Siddharth Vihar Trust of which he is the founder-chairman.

"What did you do, whom did you invite for the Pran Pratishtha? Did you give invitations to the leaders of every opposition party? You are doing everything as per your wish, and yet that temple is not even one-third complete. Now there has been some improvement as far as the construction is concerned. Who should have inaugurated it? As per the Hindu customs, who should have carried out the Pran Pratishtha?" Kharge questioned PM Modi for doing Pran Prathistha of Ram Temple.

"For example, I established Buddha Vihar in Gulbarga, then who was called for it? Buddha is considered the 9th incarnation of Lord Vishnu but they (BJP) don't come near Buddha. You know in Uttarakhand it has been imposed that if someone wants to adopt Buddhism they should approach the District Magistrate. That is a religion of this country, that was established in this country and has been accepted all over the world, but you (PM Modi) do not believe in it. Now they are attacking us. But what did I do at that time, I witnessed it from a distance while the 'pratishtha' was done by Dalai Lama and then president of India Prathibha Patil was also present there," he added.

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