Kashi seers demand to know number of temples destroyed in Kashmir

Varanasi, March 17 The Kashi Dharma Parishad has demanded that a commission of sadhus and seers of Varanasi should be constituted and its members sent to Kashmir in order to find out the exact number of temples in the valley vandalised by terrorists in the 1990s.

The seers, including Patalpuri Peethadheeshwar Mahant Balak Das, president of the parishad, Mahant Ramlochan Das, Mahant Sarveshwar Sharan Das, Mahant Shravan Das, Mahant Ishwar Das, Mahant Avadh Kishore Das, Vyas Raghav Rishi, Anil Shastri, Acharya Shriram Shastri, Kamlesh Shastri and volunteers of Vishal Bharat Sansthan, watched the Vivek Agnihotri directed Bollywood film 'The Kashmir Files' on Wednesday.

Demanding reconstruction of temples in the valley, Mahant Balak Das said: "After the exact number of temples destroyed in Kashmir is known, their reconstruction should be done with immediate effect."

He further said that the properties of those who were involved in driving away Kashmiri Pandits from the valley should be confiscated and action must be taken against them.

Meanwhile, Rampanth chief Dr Rajiv Shree Guruji said seers and members of Rampanth together will apprise the people in villages about the history of the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus.

"Sanatan dharma will have to adopt a policy of standing firm, and not fleeing," he said.

He further said that 'sant samaj' (seer community) of Kashi will soon meet the President and apprise him of their concern.

The Kashi Dharma Parishad has also decided to felicitate the director of 'The Kashmir Files' and his team in Kashi.