Hindutva leader Ritambhara, key figure of Ram temple movement, among Padma Bhushan awardees
In 2009, the Liberhan Commission had named her among those whom it said had led the country ‘to the brink of communal discord’.
Hindutva leader Ritambhara, who was among the key figures in the movement seeking a Ram temple in Ayodhya, was among the Padma Bhushan awardees announced on Saturday.
Two other individuals associated with the inauguration of the Ram temple – architect Chandrakant Sompura and Vedic scholar Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid – were among the Padma Shri awardees.
The Padma awards are announced ahead of Republic Day every year. They are conferred by the president at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in March or April.
Ritambhara, the founder of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s women’s wing Durga Vahini, was among the Padma Bhushan awardees in the “social work” category.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Ritambhara gave speeches across the country during the campaign to build a Ram temple at the site in Ayodhya where the Babri Masjid stood.
The Babri Masjid was demolished by Hindutva extremists on December 6, 1992, because they believed that it stood on the spot where the Hindu deity Ram was born. The incident had triggered communal riots across the country.
On the day when the Babri Masjid was demolished, Ritambhara was among the Hindutva leaders present at the site. Three days later, she was arrested for inciting sectarian tensions.
Ritambhara was among 32 persons charged by the Central Bureau of Investigation for demolishing the Babri Masjid. In September 2020, all 32 persons were acquitted.
In 2009, the Liberhan Commission, which was tasked by the Centre with investigating the Babri Masjid demolition, named Ritambhara among 68 persons whom it said were individually responsible for leading the country "to the brink of communal discord".
Chandrakant Sompura, among the Padma Shri awardees announced on Saturday, is the chief architect of the Ram Temple.
Sompura hails from a family of temple builders in Gujarat. The family has played a key role in building over 200 temples across the country, and has also been involved in rebuilding the Somnath temple in Gujarat, The Indian Express reported.
Vedic scholar Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid was involved in determining the auspicious time for the ground breaking ceremony for the Ram temple. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination papers for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Dravid was said to be the only person by his side.
