RWA suggests Mani Shankar Aiyar and daughter to leave colony for her rant against Ram Temple event

Taking umbrage at a protest fast by Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s daughter Suranya Aiyar against the consecration ceremony at the Ayodhya Ram Temple earlier this month, a residents’ welfare association in south Delhi’s Jangpura has suggested the father-daughter duo to leave the colony.

Aiyar in a video posted on Facebook, however, stated that she did not live in the colony represented by the RWA and that she did not receive any “notice” (letter) from it.

She said that it was decided by her to not to speak to the media over the issue for the moment. Mani Shankar Aiyar, when contacted, refused to comment on it.

In a letter addressed to the Aiyars, Jangpura Extension Residents’ Welfare Association president Kapil Kakkar said the association was approached by residents of the colony over her social media “stand/rant” and keeping fast from January 20-23.

It is the responsibility of an RWA to see that there is cordial relation between all the residents and “we do not appreciate a resident rant which may disturb the peace in the colony or hurt religious sentiments of the residents,” read the letter dated January 27.

The “pran pratishtha” (consecration) ceremony of Ram Lalla was held in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the newly built Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

The RWA accused Suranya of “hate speech” and requested her to follow the norms of a good citizen. It claimed the colony was inhabited by residents who came to India from Pakistan after partition.

Kakkar requested Mani Shankar Aiyar in the letter to “condemn” the act of his daughter, saying the RWA will highly appreciate it since it was not in good taste for the colony.

“In case you still think what you have done in protesting against the consecration (ceremony) of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, we would suggest you to kindly move out to another colony...,” Kakkar said in the letter.

He said the letter was sent to Mani Shankar Aiyar.

Suranya in her Facebook video said, “First, the relevant Residents’ Welfare Association is from a colony where I do not live! Secondly, I have decided for the moment not to speak to the media as right now.”

She also criticised the media of spreading “toxicity and confusion”.

The 49-year-old said that she studied abroad and was involved with activism with people of all political backgrounds.

“I leave my work here on my Facebook and YouTube pages for you to think for yourselves. I am going to try and avoid a media circus as I believe that we all in India deserve better. Let us stop abusing each other and try some thinking instead. Jai Hind!” she said. She said further that reasons for her disagreement were expressed by her in a previous speech (video). “I made a spiritual presentation of my own pain about this by fasting peacefully in my home,” she stated.