The Freethought Party of India (FPI) has demanded implementation of a secular code of conduct in India and total ban on superstitious activities and action against all those, irrespective of their position and power, who practice and promote such acts.
Party General Secretary B Ramchandra CST Voltaire in a Press release highly criticised the ‘Yagna’ by Telangana Chief Minster K Chandrasekhar Rao to propitiate Goddess Chandi and the presence of President Pranab Mukherjee and several union Ministers and other dignitaries in the event on December 23 last.
The Rs 7 crore ‘Ayutha Chandi Yagam’ was organised at Erravelli farm house of the Chief Minster in Medak. The services of as many as 1,500 priests were hired to carry on the Yagam for a period of 5 days. On December 27, fire broke out while “Purnahuti” was on. The five-day exercise that started on December 23 was intended to thank Goddess Chandi for the creation of the State of Telangana and for the happiness of the people of the State.
Terming such yagna as superstitious, unscientific and ridiculous, he questioned the rationale behind arranging such ritual and also how could President Mukherjee and other dignitaries be present there.
B Ramchandra referred to an incident in Nabarangpur district where a tribal priest was arrested for pressing hot iron on the body of a baby for treating it. He questioned why a poor tribal be punished for this guilt, when the President of the country, several Union Ministers and a State’s Chef Minister are allowed to go scot-free for practicing and promoting a superstitious act.
“The silliness on the part of the Telengana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was neither objected to by the President nor was the same questioned by his counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister. It is all the more bewildering that two Union Ministers Ashok Gajpathi Raju and YS Chowdary and many State-level Ministers like KE Krishnamurthy and G Srinivas Rao participated in the Yagam,” lamented the FPI release.