NEW DELHI: Following the 1992 demolition of the historic Babri Mosque and the subsequent construction of a Hindu temple at the site, far-right Hindu groups in India are now calling for the demolition of several other mosques—including the Shahi Idgah mosque, which stands adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple complex in the city of Mathura.
A week after the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said that unlike the Ram Temple movement in Ayodhya, they will not join any movement for the temples, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday (September 7) in a post on X said that the “dream of the Ram Temple has been fulfilled, now it is the turn of Mathura-Vrindavan.”
The party quoted an interview given by Baba Bageshwar to a news channel, saying Mathura–Vrindavan is next.
“Even Lord Ram has been enthroned; now Krishna Kanhaiya will take his seat… Baba Bageshwar praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that today, faith and tradition are being respected in the country.
“In the Hindu mindset, Kashi, Mathura, and Ayodhya hold great significance – two as birthplaces and one as a place of residence. And so, the Hindu society will have an urge for these places,” Bhagwat said.
While Bhagwat said that the “swayamsevaks (RSS workers) are free to join” these movements, he also added that in the spirit of brotherhood, Muslim leaders “should also let go of these three.”
Another Ayodhya?
Mathura is believed by Hindus to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna, one of the most revered deities in Hinduism.
Hindu groups claim that the historical Shahi Idgah mosque was built during the Mughal era, allegedly on the ruins of an ancient Hindu temple marking Krishna’s birthplace.
The current Krishna Janmasthan Temple Complex and Shahi Idgah Mosque share a boundary, leading to tensions over land ownership and religious rights.
Multiple court cases have been filed over the years, some seeking the reclamation of the site for a grand Krishna temple.
The issue gained momentum particularly after the Supreme Court verdict in 2019 on the Ayodhya dispute (Babri Masjid–Ram Janmabhoomi case), which allowed the construction of a Ram temple on the disputed site where the Babri Mosque once stood.
