On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the people the first phase of the mega-project — Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham, which is constructed at the cost of around Rs 339 crore. This project connects the temple premises to the river Ganga besides providing several facilities to devotees.
Varanasi has been the home constituency of Modi since 2014. On the first day of his two-day visit to the temple town, Modi first paid obeisance at Kal Bhairav Mandir, fondly called ‘Kashi ke Kotwal’, and after officially opening the corridor in the presence of a larger number of seers and saints. He then took part in a ‘cruise baithak’ with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other chief ministers of BJP-ruled states.
However, many poll pundits, a major opposition party in Uttar Pradesh, and a section of people in Varanasi conjectured that there is a “subtle political messaging” in these events and public outreaching given the state assembly elections are due early next year.
The opposition did not waste time escalating the attack on the Prime Minister; the mega corridor event had drawn a significant reaction from Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday.
On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that “Dharam Ki Rajeeniti “accused the Prime Minister of hogging the limelight and using a public works project for Hindutva assertion. But the BJP’s also hit back at the opposition, saying that this shows an anti – Hindu mindset.
They also say that the opposition, which Modi blinds hate not only trivializing the much-needed renewal of important spiritual and cultural centres for Hindus, but the BJP also said that the opposition is mocking the PM for practising his faith which every Indian is entitled to do under the constitution of the country.
The opposition believes that Kashi’s renewal is a communal endeavour; a group of people claim that the mega project has been shown so that the ruling party gets a “political edge” in the upcoming state elections.
While saints and seers have hailed the new corridor project, and a large number of people residing there and visitors from other states, who flocked the shrine on the eve of its opening, termed the mega project a work of “unprecedented scale” that has “decongested the constricted shrine” many others do not rave about it.
The inauguration of the mega project, which has expanded the Kashi Vishwanath temple area from only 3,000 sq ft to about 500000 sq ft, and which can now accommodate 50,000-75,000 devotees, has undoubtedly sent out political ripples and triggered debates ahead of the polls for the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
Targeting the Opposition, Prime Minister Modi said, “There are many who questioned the people of Varanasi earlier. They used to say that person like Modi would come and go. When I visited here, I was shocked that there was nothing done for Varanasi. People were giving false excuses and did not do anything for selfish reasons.
Who can stop Kashi where the Ganges flows by changing its current?”. The Prime Minister also reminded us that many defenders had arisen to protect the city. “If an Aurangzeb comes here, Shivaji stands up! If a Salar Masood comes, then brave warriors like King Suheldev make him feel the power of our unity.”
nToday also religion is a sensitive issue in Uttar Pradesh, especially in elections. Though the apprehensive issue of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was resolved in a historic Supreme Court verdict in November 2019, Mathura and Kashi are still susceptible zones, where security personnel guard the two shrines in the holy cities round the clock.
