From Ayodhya to Kashi, the Bharatiya Janata Party has travelled a long way, kindling the hope and aspiration among the masses that it is the party that would restore the pristine pride of the ancient cities with religious and social importance.
On August 5, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and almost a year-and-a-half later, Modi inaugurated the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi on Monday, weeks before the assembly elections in UP are to be announced.
“Today history is created reviving the socio-cultural history of this ancient city which is vibrant with Hindu philosophy as enshrined in our religious books,” Modi said while inaugurating the corridor.
For the BJP, the revival of Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura was on its political agenda. In 2019, after the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the right-wing organisations like VHP raised the slogan ‘Yeh to abhi jhanki hai, Kashi, Mathura baaki hai’, throwing the loud and clear hints that these issues will be raked up time and again. The beginning was probably made on Monday with the inauguration of the first phase of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. The opposition leaders attacked Modi saying that he inaugurated an incomplete project, and raised questions over the timing of the event.
“Why did the PM inaugurate an incomplete project? This is an attempt to sway the people on religious lines. The BJP and Modi have altered the Hindu tradition to further their political aim,” former MP from Varanasi, Ajay Rai said.
There is no doubt that the lavish event, which drew crowds of thousands and saw the Prime Minister take a dip in the Ganges river, is being billed as a way for the BJP to attract and consolidate Hindu votes ahead of upcoming state elections. BJP chief ministers from 11 states and deputy chief ministers from nine states attended this function.
To ensure that this inauguration gets a political message, senior leaders of the BJP were asked to offer prayers at prominent temples across the state when the prime minister was offering prayers at the temple in Varanasi. Over 16 lakh packets of ladoo (sweets) were distributed among 7 lakh families across Uttar Pradesh.
Politically speaking, eastern Uttar Pradesh is very crucial for the Bharatiya Janata Party. In the 2017 elections, the BJP had won 100 out of 136 seats from this region but change in caste equations with Om Prakash Rajbhar joining hands with Akhilesh Yadav could pose a problem to the ruling party in the 2021 polls..
In an attempt to turn the tide, the Prime Minister inaugurated Purvanchal Expressway as well as a fertilizer factory in Gorakhpur and an irrigation project in Balrampur. The inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath corridor acted as an icing on the development projects. Restructuring of the temple complex was on the agenda of the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh.
“The BJP government has fulfilled its promise made to the people as it has restored the pristine glory of the temple. Every Hindu across India must be proud of it. For thousands of years, Kashi Vishwanath temple endured the cruelty of foreign invaders. Today, that injustice has been undone,” Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said.
The Kashi Vishwanath Dham, which houses Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, is built in about 5 lakh square feet area at the cost of Rs 750 crore. It has 23 small and big buildings and 27 temples. The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor has four gates and is divided into three-part and connects the temple complex with the river Ganga. At least 290 buildings comprising small and big residential and business premises were demolished to construct the KV Corridor and over 1400 families were displaced.