On Friday, Giriraj Singh, a BJP leader and government of India minister, called for Muslims to voluntarily relinquish the Gyanvapi mosque site to Hindus, emphasising the need to avoid statements that could disturb communal harmony.
This came in response to the ASI survey report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex, which, according to the lawyer representing Hindu litigants, suggested that the mosque was constructed after the demolition of a pre-existing temple.
Singh highlighted the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya by Narendra Modi and expressed the longstanding demand for Ayodhya, Kashi, and Mathura.
He urged Muslim brothers to consider handing over Kashi to Hindus. Singh asserted that while no mosques have been demolished in India after independence, there are no temples left in Pakistan.
Cautioning against provocative statements, Singh stated that the present India is different, with an awakened Sanatani youth. He warned against attempts to emulate figures like Babur or Aurangzeb, suggesting that if such actions occur, the youth may respond in the spirit of Maharana Pratap. Singh called for the responsibility to maintain peace, emphasizing that the initiative lies with the Muslim community.
In related developments, a Varanasi court ruled on Wednesday that the ASI survey report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex would be provided to both Hindu and Muslim parties involved in the case.
Vishnu Shankar Jain, the lawyer representing Hindu petitioners, revealed that the 839-page report, released on Thursday evening, clarified that the mosque was built on the remnants of a Hindu temple destroyed during Aurangzeb’s reign in the 17th century.
