Keeping up with UP: What change in RSS’s stand on contested sites means

IS account repeating itself? Amid the sound battles o'er contested spiritual sites in Mathura and Varanasi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ruling Bharatiya Janata company (BJP)’s ideological fount, has shifted its stand on the issue. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, late last month, said the organisation participated in the movement for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, but chose not to participate in other similar movements. He added that RSS volunteers can join the Varanasi and Mathura movements in their individual capacity, respecting the Hindu sentiments.Suits over Mathura’s Shahi Eidgah land dispute seek the return of the 13.37-acre plot on which a mosque stands to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust. The mosque abuts the temple. The suits also sought to annul a compromise between the mosque committee and Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sangh in 1968, maintaining the status quo.In Varanasi, the dispute stems from claims that the Gyanvapi Mosque was built atop a Hindu temple. The Muslim side has argued that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, bars suits over these disputes. The 1991 law protects the character of all places of worship that existed as of August 15, 1947, barring that in Ayodhya. It prohibits the filing of any lawsuits to alter the character of any place of worship.The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), an RSS affiliate, spearheaded the movement for the Ayodhya temple after a convention in Muzaffarnagar in 1983. The BJP actively joined the movement with Lal Krishna Advani’s 1990 Rath Yatra, which is widely believed to have reshaped the country’s politics and helped the BJP emerge as a political force.RSS’s stand until Bhagwat’s comments in August aligned with the 1991 law. The Muslim side has cited this law while contesting the claims over the Gyanvapi and Mathura shrines. In 2022, Bhagwat’s comment that one cannot go looking for a shivling under every mosque came as a big relief to Muslims, who largely accepted the Supreme Court verdict handing over disputed land in Ayodhya to a government-constituted trust for the construction of the temple. The shift in RSS’s stand has the Muslim community worried.Bhagwat also reiterated the “advice” to the Muslims to “give up” their claim on Mathura’s Shahi Eidgah and Gyanvapi and hand them over to the Hindus. He said it was a matter of “just three temples” and would be a big step towards brotherhood. The Muslims have feared that the demand for giving up more shrines would accelerate if they handed over these shrines.Prime Ministers Chandrashekhar, VP Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and spiritual leader Dalai Lama sought a dialogue to resolve the Ayodhya issue. The Supreme Court finally settled the matter in 2019.The 1991 law gives Muslims hope even as its constitutionality has been challenged. Muslims fear the RSS may launch a campaign for the two more shrines. A Muslim scholar asked why Bhagwat would suddenly talk about Varanasi and Mathura, when the matter is in the courts. “Is it the lull before the storm?”The Ram Temple movement made headway in the 1990s under the Kalyan Singh-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. The temple became a reality when the BJP became a dominant force both in the state and at the Centre. Saffron-robed Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath is focused on the takeover of the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan and the construction of a corridor there, impacting hundreds of temples and ashrams. He has been vocal about Sambhal, where a court last year ordered a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid.In 2021, the district administration imposed prohibitory orders following an Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha announcement that it would install a Lord Krishna idol in the Mathura mosque. Rajshree Chaudhary, the Mahasabha leader, has demanded permission to offer prayers at the mosque and announced a meeting in November to decide on their next plan to “liberate the place”. Chaudhary condemned the state government for focusing on Banke Bihari, rather than the Krishna Janmasthan.Gopeshwar Chaturvedi, a member of the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust, said Veer Singh Bundela, the king of Orchha, built the Mathura temple in 1610. He added that Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb demolished it in 1669. In 1885, it was declared a Nazul (government-owned) land. Raja Patani Mal purchased the land in 1815 but could not construct the temple.Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha founder Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya formed the trust, which Chaturvedi said is the owner of the land. Chaturvedi added that they have granted the right to namaz on Eid at the site. “We pay the taxes and revenue. Muslims should voluntarily give up their claim for an amicable solution.”The Muslim side claims there is no dispute, as the two sides entered into a compromise through the 1968 agreement. The Hindu side has demanded the removal of Shahi Eidgah and the transfer of land, and challenged the 1968 settlement. In Varanasi, a Hindu priest has been offering worship in the cellar of the mosque since early 2024. Muslims offer namaz in the mosque, though the numbers have been dwindling.The devotees of the three shrines in Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Mathura are spread across the country. Krishna has a huge following in Gujarat and West Bengal, and Shiva in the southern states, where the BJP has struggled to make major inroads despite its dominance in the rest of the country.