Yeh (Ayodhya) To Kewal Jhaanki Hai, Mathura Kashi Baaki Hai (Ayodhya is just the teaser, Mathura and Kashi are still left) – this old war cry of the right-wing school of politics was never owned up officially by the BJP. But now, ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections, the call is entering the official BJP lexicon with top leaders like Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath saying so.
However, the pitch is a bit different here. It’s not to resolve the traditional temple-mosque issues, but to stress the massive development of the three holy sites of the Hindus. “We had said we will get Ram Temple work started in Ayodhya. Modi had got that started. Aren’t you happy? In Kashi, a grand Vishwanath Dham has been built. You’ve seen it. Then how will Mathura-Vrindavan be left behind? Work has started there too,” Adityanath said at a rally on Thursday.
The Uttar Pradesh CM’s reference to the ‘Ayodhya-Mathura-Kashi’ phrase was preceded by Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya this month when he said a grand temple construction was ongoing in Ayodhya and Kashi and “now the preparation was on for Mathura”.
BJP UP in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan also used the phrase earlier this month when he said pilgrims came to these three sites in UP. Mathura’s BJP MP Hema Malini has earlier this month too asked the PM for the development of the Mathura Krishnabhoomi temple on lines of the Kashi temple.
A senior BJP leader in the state said that the Ayodhya-Kashi-Mathura lexicon was being approached from the ‘development angle’ by the party in these elections as these are the three holy sites of Hindus and revered for the three Gods, Ram, Shiv and Krishna.
“We stand for restoring these holy sites to their past glory and developing them in a befitting manner. The development plan for Mathura Krishnajanamboomi temple is being discussed at senior levels,” the leader told News18.
The Shahi Eidgah mosque in Mathura is located adjacent to the Krishnajanambhoomi temple and was constructed by Aurangzeb in 1670 by demolishing the temple, which was rebuilt later. This is a similar situation to Varanasi where Gyanvyapi Mosque was built by Aurangzeb after demolishing the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in 1670 before the temple was rebuilt, but was situated in a small area till 2019.
The Kashi Vishwanath Dham project has, however, expanded the area of the temple complex by nearly ten times. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address at the Kashi Vishwanath Dham project on December 13 had invoked Aurangzeb to point out the destruction of India’s ancient temples. BJP leaders say the focus on Ayodhya-Kashi-Mathura reinforces the party’s campaign that it is focussing on the redevelopment of these sites.
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