In an impassioned address, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday hailed the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and indicated that resolving the Krishna Janmabhoomi land dispute is the saffron party's upcoming priority.
"In Mahabharata, Krishna asked for five villages, but today the Hindu society is only asking for the three centres of their faith -- Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura," the Chief Minister said.
It appears that Mr Adityanath made a reference to the Krishna Janmabhoomi case by mentioning "Krishna".
According to Hindu petitioners, the Shahi Idgah, a 17th-century mosque located in Mathura, was built on the very spot where Lord Krishna was born.
Recently, the Allahabad High Court has granted permission for an archaeological survey to be conducted at the site.
"When Nandi Baba saw the celebrations in Ayodhya, he was adamant and threw the barricades open at night. Now our Krishna Kanhaiya is adamant," Mr Adityanath told the Assembly.
The text refers to the recent case involving the Gyanvapi Masjid located in Varanasi, India. The term "Nandi Baba" in the text pertains to Nandi, the celestial bull and the vehicle of Lord Shiva, which is being used as a reference in this case.
Recently, Hindu prayers have resumed in one of the mosque's cellars after a gap of 30 years, following a district court order.
The prayers were held after the court order. The cellar where the prayers were held faces the Nandi idol in the adjoining Kashi Vishwanath temple.
Hindu petitioners have initiated a legal battle over the Varanasi mosque, seeking court permission to offer prayers in various areas of the temple. The mosque at Varanasi is currently at the centre of this ongoing controversy.
The BJP leader's remarks here are a clear indication that after Ayodhya, the Kashi (Varanasi) and Mathura matters are high on their agenda.
Significantly, the remarks come shortly after the Ayodhya temple treasurer Govind Dev Giri Maharaj said that Hindus "will forget" issues related to temples "once Kashi and Mathura are freed".
Talking about Ram Janmabhoomi, Adityanath said Ayodhya suffered "injustice" for over 5,000 years. The Ram temple in Ayodhya is coming up at the site where Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque, stood before it was demolished in 1992 by right-wing activists who believed it was built on the ruins of a temple marking the birthplace of Lord Ram.
A Supreme Court order in 2019 handed over the disputed land to a trust for the construction of a temple.
Expressing his joy on the day of the grand consecration ceremony at the temple, Adityanath said, "I was happy that our Lord has taken his place in the temple. I was happy that the consecration had been done. But I was also happy that we fulfilled our promise, 'mandir' wahin banaya' (built the temple there)," he said.
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