The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA, condemns the gruesome bomb attacks in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India that claimed 20 innocent lives and seriously injured more than 50 persons at the time of this Press Release. . The terrorist attacks intentionally damaged a historical and sacred Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple and also the Varanasi Cantt. railway station. The Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple was founded by Saint Tulsidas in 16thcentury and is a very popular Hindu shrine in Varanasi especially on a Tuesday evening when large crowds of devotees come to worship Hanumanji. The temple premises were exceptionally over crowded at the time due to wedding ceremonies of two families. The well planned multiple bombing incidents were clearly designed to scare the general public and Hindus in particular; they appear to be willfully targeted to inflict maximum fatalities and unleash terror.
By attacking a place of Hindu worship and that too in one of the most sacred cities for Hindus, the terrorists have once again displayed their hatred for the Hindu religion and against India as a secular nation. This yet another tragic event reminds us of the terrorist bombings of the Raghunath Mandir in J & K, the Akshardham temple in Gujarat, the Ramlala Mandir at Rama Janmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya, UP, and the terrorist bombings in New Delhi on the eve of Diwali- all of which appear to be the part of a well orchestrated systematic attack on Hinduism.
We join the families and well wishers of the victims in this hour of tragedy and pray the Almighty for the ‘sadgati’ of the departed souls and much needed strength for those who have been left behind to endure the tragedy. We urge the local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to act promptly to identify and prosecute the culprits to the full extent of the law. We also urge those living in the affected areas, the community leaders and the public at large to help maintain peace and harmony in the society.