BJP's Simmering Plan for Mathura and Kashi Temples Heats Up After Ayodhya

BJP insiders told The Telegraph that despite calls for "restraint" and "humility" from Prime Minister Narendra and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat following the Ram temple opening on Monday, the demand for an Ayodhya-like transformation of Mathura and Kashi, with parts of mosques abutting Hindu temples removed, would continue to simmer on the BJP's front burner.

The experts said that the dedication of Ram Lalla in the opulent new temple would actually increase the need for a comparable “abode for Lord Krishna in Mathura and Lord Shiva in Kashi/ Varanasi”, in an attempt to keep manipulating religious feeling for political gain.

Hindu organizations and individuals have already pushed the twin problems on a Ram Janmabhoomi-like route, fervently pursuing the dispute in local courts and advocating for the cause on the streets, even though the BJP has so far refrained from placing them on its official agenda.

The petitioners have been claiming that the Shahi Idgah mosque, which is next to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura, and the Gyanvapi mosque, which is next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, were both constructed by destroying Mughal temples and should be restored. The twin lawsuits seem to have gained new life in the context of Ayodhya, since the petitioners are being actively heard by the relevant courts.

The Supreme Court did not interfere with the proceedings regarding the maintenance of the suit filed by Hindu groups alleging that a temple once stood over the mosque land, but it did stop the execution of an Allahabad High Court order to appoint a commission to inspect the Shahi Idgah premises earlier this month.

The Archaeological Survey of India has previously presented its findings in the Gyanvapi mosque case in Varanasi to a local court, and the matter is now being pursued at the Allahabad High Court as well.

Hindu organizations alleged that water spouts used by Muslim worshipers for pre-prayer ablutions were really "Shivlings," an allegation that made the topic global news in 2022.

Hindus have been aroused by the completion of the Ram Janmabhoomi project. Currently, agitations are not necessary for the party or the RSS to carry out. A BJP senior expressed confidence that the courts will decide in favor of Hindu claimants in the Mathura and Kashi cases, saying "People will pursue and win."

J.P. Nadda, the chairman of the BJP, had said that "courts and the Constitution will decide" on such difficult matters after the Gyanvapi case made headlines. He was responding to inquiries about whether the Mathura and Kashi cases will be taken up by the party as well.

"As surveys are conducted, proof of Hindu temples being destroyed in Mathura and Kashi will soon make its way to the courts. After then, the lawsuits would pick up steam on their own, according to a BJP general secretary. "Party leaders will be forced to speak once evidence like the presence of Shivlings inside the Gyanvapi mosque starts coming," the leader said.

According to BJP officials, the twin concerns may not play a major role in the next Lok Sabha elections, but they could take center stage after the general elections and before the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2027.

"Mathura and Kashi will enter the BJP's and Modi's agenda post the Lok Sabha polls," a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh said, claiming that the Samajwadi Party's Muslim-Yadav vote bank may be severely impacted by the Krishna Janmabhoomi issue.

The Prime Minister Modi said, "The day is not far when God will be seen with even more divinity in the Braj (Mathura-Brindavan) region," during his recent visit to Mathura, this BJP MP noted.

"Modiji's remarks made it very evident that, not only now, but even after Ram Janmabhoomi, Krishna Janmabhoomi should have a magnificent temple. The MP said that it will be set aside for Modiji's third term in office.