Right-wing Hindu groups, backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have gained permission from a local court to pray inside the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, India. The disputed mosque, which is adjacent to a famous temple, has been the subject of a longstanding claim by Hindu groups who believe it was built over a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva. The court ruling has sparked controversy and raised concerns about religious tensions in the country.
Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Modi, is located in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state and also governed by the BJP. The decision to allow Hindu worshippers to pray in the building’s basement has been met with both support and opposition. Hindu worshippers, including family members of Hindu priests, began praying in the mosque’s basement soon after the court ruling.
The Gyanvapi Mosque was built during the Mughal Empire in a city where Hindus from across the country cremate their relatives by the Ganges river. The belief that the mosque replaced a Hindu temple has been further supported by a recent survey conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India. This has emboldened right-wing Hindu groups who have claimed several Muslim sites of worship as originally ancient temples built during Mughal rule.
In a separate incident, a centuries-old mosque in New Delhi, known as the Masjid Akhonji, was demolished by bulldozers. The demolition took place without prior notice, according to Mohammad Zaffar, a member of the mosque’s managing committee. He stated that many graves in the mosque compound were desecrated, and copies of the Quran and other materials were not allowed to be removed before the demolition. The Delhi Development Authority claimed the demolition was part of a drive to remove “illegal” structures from a forest reserve.
These incidents have raised concerns about the growing calls for Hindu supremacy in India. Critics accuse Prime Minister Modi of promoting a pro-Hindu agenda and discrimination against Muslims. Last week, Modi presided over the inauguration of a Hindu temple in Ayodhya, built on the former site of another Mughal-era mosque. This event, seen as a Hindu reawakening, is expected to boost Modi’s chances of winning a third term in the upcoming national elections.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP’s ideological mentor, has also questioned the status of the Gyanvapi Mosque and three other disputed sites. They have called for a dialogue and for the judiciary to decide the fate of these sites. However, critics argue that these actions further marginalize India’s Muslim minority, who account for roughly 200 million people, making it the world’s third-largest Muslim population.
The court ruling and the demolition of the Masjid Akhonji highlight the deep-rooted tensions and religious divisions in India. As the country heads towards national elections, these incidents will undoubtedly shape the political landscape and raise questions about the future of religious harmony in India.
