Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday was seen supporting the claims of Hindu groups for two pilgrimage sites in Varanasi and Mathura. He praised the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and accused previous governments of neglecting the temple city. Reiterating the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) position on the subject, Yogi said on the floor of the Legislative Assembly, “In the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna had asked for five villages, but today the Hindu society is asking for only three centres of faith.”

The chief minister, while replying to the motion of thanks on the governor’s address in the state assembly, said, “Before the beginning of the Kurukshetra war described in the epic Mahabharata, Lord Krishna had requested Duryodhana to give five villages to the Pandavas. Similarly, we demand our three holy places – Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura, the land of God’s incarnation.

Yogi also mentioned the recent developments in the Gyanvapi Masjid case where puja started in the southern basement last week after three decades following a District Court order.

Probably referring to the idol of Nandi in front of Gyanvapi Mosque, the chief minister said, “We fulfilled the promises made to the people with the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. The consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla was a wonderful and unforgettable moment. After the celebration in Ayodhya, Nandi Baba is asking why he should wait. They removed the barricades at night.”

The barricades around the southern basement were removed around midnight on 1 February, a few hours after the District Court order.

Yogi said that Lord Krishna was not one to be disappointed. He said, “And where is our Krishna Kanhaiya going to celebrate?” Yogi appeared to be referring to the controversy over the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura and the Shahi Idgah adjacent to it.

Varanasi, Mathura and Ayodhya are part of a three-decade-old ideological project by Hindu activists to remind people that mediaeval-era Islamic structures were built by demolishing temples. The Sangh and the BJP have been demanding Hindu rights over these structures for more than three decades.

The chief minister attacked the opposition parties for allegedly creating hurdles in the construction of the Rama temple, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 January. Yogi accused the previous Samajwadi Party (SP) government of ignoring development in Ayodhya, saying, “We agree that the temple dispute was in the court but the roads there could have been widened. The ghats there could be revived. Electricity could be supplied to the residents of Ayodhya. Arrangements for cleanliness could have been made there. Better health facilities could have been provided there. An airport could be built there.”

Yogi asked, “With what intention was this development work stopped? What was the intention behind stopping the development of Ayodhya, stopping the development of Kashi and stopping the development of Mathura-Vrindavan?”

The chief minister said that the previous governments did not allow the development of Ayodhya by imposing restrictions and curfews: “Opposition leaders played with public trust and people had to beg for trust. Foreign invaders not only looted our wealth but also attacked our faith and destroyed our cultural heritage. After independence, opposition parties made a malicious attempt to glorify the invaders for the sake of their vote bank. Now the country will not accept this.”

The chief minister said that the parliamentary affairs minister (Suresh Khanna) had moved a resolution in the house (on 5 February), welcoming the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, but some SP members opposed the resolution: “Everyone should come to Ayodhya to have a darshan of Lord Rama. Rama belongs to everyone. The whole world wants to come to Ayodhya. The governor started his address with Lord Rama, but the Leader of the Opposition was worried about votes. The opposition does not seek pride in the state but is concerned about his vote-bank. This is a dangerous problem because we are playing with people’s trust.”

Yogi said that projects worth Rs 31,000 crore had been started to build a grand city in Ayodhya: “Dharma Path, Shri Ram Path, Bhakti Path, Janmabhoomi Path have been constructed. Guptar Ghat, Ram Ghat and Naya Ghat have been developed. Ram’s garden is as clean as Haridwar’s. Projects for the development of new townships will be started soon. All states are acquiring land (in Ayodhya) to set up guest houses. More than 36 lakh devotees have visited (Ram Temple) in 16 days.” Congress spokesperson CP Rai said in reply, “Governments are not meant to decide on or build a temple or mosque. Resolving issues through mutual negotiations or courts has been part of our culture. But if neither of the two is being mentioned, the entire effort is to divert attention from the real issues common citizens face.”