RSS now pushes for debate on Kashi, Mathura temples

NEW DELHI: While still unclear on whether to launch a campaign for possession of the disputed sites in Varanasi and Mathura, RSS seems to be stepping up its effort for Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s demand for a debate on the continuation of Islamic places of worship next to Kashi Vishwanath Mandir and Krishna Janmabhoomi, respectively.
The Sangh has maintained that the mosque at the site of Kashi Vishwanath temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, and the Eidgah at what is believed to be Krishna Janmbhoomi, symbolise India’s “slavery” under “outside” aggressors who destroyed symbols of religion and culture and converted existing shrines to their own faiths.
With the Supreme Court accepting a PIL challenging the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which froze the denominational character of places of worship, including those in Varanasi and Mathura, Sangh sources said it was time that the issue was debated publicly.
While it is yet to be seen how the Centre responds to the SC notice, political circles emphasised the affiliation of the petitioner, Ashwini Upadhyay, with BJP.
Significantly, Upadhyay, an advocate who was earlier with AAP, has also filed four petitions seeking promulgation of uniform laws on the entire gamut of issues related to personal laws which should come under the purview of a uniform civil code, another key theme of the Sangh Parivar and BJP.
During an interaction with proponents of Mathura and Kashi temples in Agra recently, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had urged them to remain calm and have “patience”.
Sangh members want to work for “consensus” for an acceptance of “Hindu claims” on Kashi and Mathura. “There should be a debate on the issue in which the media can play an important role,” a Sangh member said. “However, we believe that there should be a spontaneous approach rather than imposing another movement for any change in the structures of religious sites,” the member added.
“We’ve gradually shed the British legacy. Similarly, there should be a debate on how long can one allow existence of structures which symbolise attack on India’s religious belief and traditions,” the member said. “The Pope recently visited Iran with a sole purpose that the churches demolished should be reconstructed. Our country had witnessed similar attacks on religious monuments during Mughals and other Islamic rulers,” he said.