The film Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge has sent netizens on a ‘digging’ spree – right from unearthing news items from the UPA era about how Congress handled terrorism in the country to bringing out statements made by Congress leaders/ministers during those times.
In this backdrop, one such video featuring former Congress minister Jairam Ramesh has resurfaced.
In the video clipping, he is seen saying, “This journey is to build something which I consider to be even more sacred than a temple — and that is a toilet. No matter how many temples we visit, if there is no toilet, it doesn’t matter how many coconuts you break, how many Mangala Aarti you perform – you are not going to attain salvation (moksha).”
“A toilet is more pure than a mandir”
Said Rahul Gandhi’s Commander Jairam Ramesh about Ram Mandir in 2012
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This video is from 2012, when Jairam Ramesh served as the Union Rural Development Minister. He made these remarks while emphasizing the importance of sanitation during the launch of the “Nirmal Bharat Yatra” campaign in Wardha, Maharashtra. The campaign was part of a broader government push to improve rural hygiene and eliminate open defecation.
At the event, Ramesh stated that toilets should be given higher priority than temples, arguing that sanitation and cleanliness were essential for public health. He remarked that visiting temples alone would not ensure salvation and stressed the need to focus on building toilets and maintaining hygiene.
In response to the controversy, the Indian National Congress had sought to distance itself from the statement.
The comments triggered immediate political backlash. Leaders and supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party, along with organizations such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal, accused Ramesh of hurting religious sentiments and disrespecting Hindu beliefs.
The issue resurfaced years later in 2023, particularly during the period surrounding the Ram Temple inauguration Ayodhya January 2024. The video of Ramesh’s remarks was widely circulated on social media. The same video clipping has resurfaced once again in 2 years, thanks to Dhurandhar.
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