Buddhist leaders have rallied behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi following comments made by Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge regarding the Prime Minister’s affiliation with Buddhism.
Venerable Bhikkhu Sanghasena, founder and president of the Mahabodhi International Meditation Center, expressed profound gratitude to PM Modi for his significant contributions to the Buddhist community in Bharat.
Sanghasena highlighted that no other government in the past has extended such robust support to the Buddhist cause in Bharat. He stated, “I want to express my sincere gratitude to PM Narendra Modi for what he has done for the Buddhist people in Bharat. I don’t remember how many PMs and governments, earlier, have given and supported the Buddhist. PM Modi has done a lot for Buddhism.”
Sanghasena highlighted PM Modi’s initiatives, including laying the foundation stone of the International Buddhist Centre in Lumbini and facilitating the transport of Buddha relics to various countries like Thailand. He praised Modi’s consistent promotion of Buddhism, noting, “Wherever he goes he talks about Buddhism. In the United Nations, he said – Bharat ne duniya ko Buddha diya hai, yuddh nahi (India has given Buddha to the world not the fighter).”
Another Buddhist Monk, Norbu Negi from Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, dismissed the notion that PM Modi lacks faith in Buddhism. Negi affirmed that Modi annually calls the Dalai Lama on his birthday and that the Modi Government and party workers actively support and participate in Buddhist functions.
The remarks come in response to Kharge’s comments during an interview with News 24, where he questioned PM Modi’s involvement in the inauguration ceremony of Buddha Vihar in Gulbarga and criticised his handling of religious matters. Kharge’s remarks have sparked a fresh controversy regarding Buddhism and PM Modi’s stance on the religion.
