The MP from Uttar Pradesh's Bhadoi Lok Sabha constituency said, "I can say this very confidently that the regions facing drought will get rains if they conduct 'yagyas'."
With more than 40 percent of the nation facing scarcity of water and reeling under a drought-like situation, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Virendra Singh on Thursday suggested that people should organise 'yagyas' to purify nature so that there is ample rainfall.
Justifying his assertion, the MP from Uttar Pradesh's Bhadoi Lok Sabha constituency said a 'yagya' is a spiritual and scientific tradition considering the modern-day system.
"There are spiritual as well as scientific reasons for 'yagya'. It helps in attracting clouds," he told ANI.
Singh further said 'yagyas' are not only sacred for farmers and affluent families, but it is also meant to purify nature. "The smoke from the 'yagya' reaches the sky and rainfall takes place and this has been scientifically corroborated," he claimed.
When asked if all the regions facing drought should organise a 'yagya' for rains, Singh said: "I can say this very confidently that the regions facing drought will get rains if they conduct 'yagyas'."
Singh further said droughts occur because people destroy nature in the name of development.
"I want the government and the state administration to appeal to the rich people to spend money towards digging wells and ponds, which could provide water in times of drought," he added.
The lawmaker's remark comes after the Supreme Court rapped Haryana, Gujarat and Bihar on the drought issue and directed the Centre to convene an urgent meeting with their chief secretaries to assess the drought situation in these states.
The apex court had earlier on Tuesday said that these states lacked the will to even admit to the drought-like situation in their jurisdictions.
The apex court directed the Union Agriculture Secretary to hold a meeting within a week with the three chief secretaries in view of the available data and, if so advised, persuade the state governments to declare drought in whichever district, taluka or tehsil it was necessary.
Meanwhile, the Congress has ridiculed the remark that all lawmakers of drought-hit states should perform 'yagya' as a means to mitigate the drought situation and said that the Centre should accept its failure.
"I am a Hindu and I worship, but I don't believe in all these things. The government should accept its failure. The Supreme Court has pulled up the government and said that the government was not ready to tackle the drought situation," Congress leader Pramod Tewari told ANI. "If the people don't get adequate relief in this drought situation then the Centre will be held responsible for it," he added.
Speaking during a debate on drought in Parliament debate, the Bhadohi MP yesterday recalled the mythological story of Raja Janak ploughing the fields and organising yajya to please the rain gods.
"Raja Janak's rajdharma resulted in rains... Similarly, Modiji is trying to revive over seven lakh ponds to mitigate the problem of drought in the country," Singh said. Singh claimed that this is how Ujjain in Uttar Pradesh received rainfall.
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 "Virendra Singh")
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