“Marxist, Muslim and Western historians” were in the line of fire on Sunday at a seminar organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-backed Akhil Bharatiya Itihaas Sankalan Yojana (ABISY) to offer tribute to ‘A Forgotten Hindu Emperor, Maharaja Hemchandra Vikramaditya’ with Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy calling for burning of their books.

The complaint of ABISY — the history wing of the RSS — and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad against these historians was that they had ignored many Hindu historical figures by design. ABISY national president Satish Chandra Mittal said Hemchandra Vikramaditya — who had established ‘Hindu raj’ in North India before the second battle of Panipat, 1556 — was a nationalist. Books written by “Nehruvian historians” such as Bipin Chandra and Romila Thapar should be set afire, Dr. Swamy said.

He said Muslims should give up claim to the disputed land/structures at Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura so that temples could be constructed there. “This will help create a new milieu in the country.” Referring to the disputes over the Ramjanmabhoomi Temple-Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvyapi Mosque in Varanasi and the Keshav Dev Temple-Shahi Idgah in Mathura, he said temples should be built there. “Even if the government does not do anything, I will; I will go to court.”