UPShot | CM Yogi’s Kashi-Mathura pitch, taking lessons from Mahabharata and Ayodhya

What conclusions can be drawn from the long-standing temple-mosque dispute in Uttar Pradesh’s Kashi and Mathura in Ayodhya? The issue has suddenly become the most contentious issue in Uttar Pradesh politics, especially after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath spoke on Wednesday, where he not only addressed the ongoing dispute over the shrines of Kashgar and Mathura but also supported the The demand for temple construction in both places is similar to that in Ayodhya, a town that recently held a grand consecration ceremony at the Ram Mandir.

“We only want three places”

CM Aditynath’s speech in the state assembly on Wednesday was eye-catching. It begins with a reference to the Hindu epic Mahabharata, which he uses to raise the controversial issues of the Jawapi Masjid dispute in Varanasi (Kashgar) and the Shahi Idgar Masjid dispute in Mathura. “Ayodhya has been treated unfairly. When I talk about injustice, we recall the incident that happened 5,000 years ago when the Pandavas sought only five villages from the Kauravas but they did not give it. In In our country, most communities want only three places (Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura). But for that, they also have to beg,” Yogi Adityanath in UP said during the discussion of the motion to express gratitude to the governor for his speech.

According to the Mahabharata, in order to maintain peace and avoid war, Krishna proposed that if five villages were handed over to the Pandavas, they would be satisfied and make no more demands. However, Duryodhana vehemently refused and stated that he would not give up even a pinhead-sized piece of land, thus setting the stage for a great war.

‘Previous governments neglected Ayodhya’

The UP CM also criticized the previous government, especially the Samajwadi Party (SP), for its stand on the Ram temple issue and neglect of development in Ayodhya, noting that during those times, the holy city faced curfews and bans. “The injustice faced in Ayodhya is similar to that faced by the Pandavas 5,000 years ago… We do agree that the temple dispute is before the courts, but the roads there could have been widened and the ghats beautified, Electricity could be provided, or airport facilities could be built, but nothing like that happened,” he said.

Yogi Adityanath also highlighted the grand consecration ceremony held in Ayodhya on January 22 and the recent incident in which the Varanasi district court allowed prayers to be performed in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi Masjid. “When there were celebrations in Ayodhya, Nandi Baba said ‘Why should I wait?’ Without waiting a night, the roadblock was breached. Aur hamare Krishna Kanhaiya bhi ab kahan manne wale hain (and, now our Kerry Chyna could not be persuaded either),” he said.

The chief minister also emphasized the importance of consecrating the Rama temple in Ayodhya, affirming the government’s commitment to fulfill its promises to the people. He also highlighted the impact of the temple on the development of Ayodhya.

“The country will only accept the principles of Ram Rajya”

The chief minister condemned the opposition’s apathy towards sacred issues, accusing them of ignoring public sentiments and trying to divert attention from important milestones like the Ram temple incident.

Citing Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel’s remarks that the country was witnessing “Ram Rajya taking shape”, the chief minister said, “I say the country will only accept the principles of Ram Rajya and not the principles of Samajwadi .”

Are Kashgar and Mathura next on the agenda?

The UP CM’s remarks sparked a fresh debate, with political experts saying it was less a speech and more about the next political move between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS (RSS) in the state. Agenda push.

“Before talking about this issue, I would like to highlight an age-old slogan – ‘Ayodhya toh bas jhanki hai, Kashi aur Mathura abhi baki hai (Ayodhya is just the trailer, Kashi and Mathura remain)’. The UP chief minister’s speech was nothing but is the next agenda for the RSS-BJP after the recent dedication ceremony of the Ram temple,” said Shashikant Pandey, a political analyst and head of the political science department at Lucknow’s Bhimrao Ambedkar University.

He said this was not the first time that BJP or Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh workers had raised their voice for Varanasi and Mathura. “In 2022, BJP president JP Nadda said in an interview regarding the pending mosque-temple litigation that religious matters will be decided by the courts and the Constitution and the party will strictly implement these decisions,” Pandey told News18.

In the same year, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, in a speech, issued a strict directive that no movement would be launched around the demand for restoration of the temple on the site of the Jawapi Masjid in Varanasi. “The only way to resolve the Jawapi dispute is through dialogue and reconciliation,” he added.

Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti said the disputed sites in Kashgar and Mathura should be exempted from the Religious Places Act.

Mathura dispute

The Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura was built on the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb adjacent to Krishna Janmasthan and is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna. Hindu parties to the lawsuit claim the 17th-century Mughal-era mosque was built after the demolition of a temple at the birthplace of Lord Krishna. In December last year, the local court recognized the request, but the Muslims raised objections to the High Court.

So far, nine cases have been filed in Mathura courts in connection with the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi and Shahi Idgah Masjid cases. One thing in common among all the petitions is a prayer to demolish the mosque from the 13.77-acre complex, which is shared with the Katra Keshav Dev temple.

ASI Disclosure

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) recently revealed in response to an RTI request that Aurangzeb demolished the Keshavdev Temple at the Krishna Janmabhoomi site in order to Build a mosque in Mathura. The ASI disclosed excerpts from the bulletin of November 1920, which stated that a Keshav Dev temple once stood on a part of the Katra mound.

The ASI document said, “The portion of Katra mound which is not owned by the Nazur tenants (property belonging to the government) once had a Keshavdev temple standing on it which has been demolished and the land is being used as Orang Zebu Mosque.”

Gian Wapi Dispute

In August 2021, Rakshi Singh and four other Hindu women filed a case in Varanasi civil court seeking the right to worship Hindu deities at the Jawapi Masjid throughout the year. The plaintiffs said in their claim that the Gyanvyapi Mosque and its buildings were once a Hindu temple. They claim that Mughal ruler Aurangzeb demolished the temple and built a mosque over it. The court directed the ASI to conduct an in-depth investigation into the Gyanvapi mosque. The aim was to determine whether the mosque was built on the original structure of a Hindu temple. The ASI in its report revealed that an existing building appears to have been destroyed in the 17th century and “portions of it were modified and repurposed”, adding that based on scientific research, it can be said that “there was a large Hindu temple before the construction of the current mosque.” temple”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi witnessed a historic moment as a puja was held in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi complex a day after a local court ordered the complainant Shailendra Kumar Pathak to be arranged for idol worship. Vyas and a priest nominated by Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust within 7 days.

The court order came after Vyas submitted a petition to the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which manages the Gyanvapi Masjid. According to the lawsuit, Father Somnath Vyas performed prayers there until authorities closed the crypt in 1993. Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas is the grandson of Somnath Vyas. After the Babri Masjid was demolished in December 1992, all four cellars of the mosque were sealed due to security concerns. A permanent barrier was also erected at the time.