Is History Repeating Itself? Renewed Tensions Over Religious Sites in Mathura and Varanasi

As legal battles heat up over contested religious sites in Mathura and Varanasi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)—the ideological backbone of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—has shifted its stance on these issues. Recently, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat acknowledged that while the RSS actively took part in the movement for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, it chose not to engage in other similar disputes. However, he added that RSS volunteers could support the movements in Varanasi and Mathura on an individual basis, showing respect for Hindu sentiments.

The Mathura dispute revolves around the Shahi Eidgah mosque, built on a 13.37-acre plot adjacent to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple. The plaintiffs want this land returned to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust and are also asking to annul a 1968 agreement that maintained the status quo between the mosque committee and the temple trust.

In Varanasi, the controversy centers on claims that the Gyanvapi Mosque was built over a Hindu temple. The Muslim community argues that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991 prevents legal challenges to the status of religious sites as they stood on August 15, 1947, except for the Ayodhya case.

The 1991 law was largely respected until recently, and even the RSS’s earlier comments aligned with it. Muslims found relief when Bhagwat said in 2022 that one can’t go “looking for a shivling under every mosque.” But his recent remarks advising Muslims to “give up” claims on the Shahi Eidgah and Gyanvapi mosques have caused unease, with many fearing this could open the floodgates for more demands.

This isn’t the first time such tensions have arisen. The Ram Temple movement gained momentum in the 1990s under the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh, culminating in the Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling that allowed the temple’s construction. Now, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been focusing on similar efforts in Vrindavan and Sambhal, stirring further controversy.

Groups like the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha continue to demand control over these contested sites, with plans for public actions to “liberate” places like the Shahi Eidgah mosque. Meanwhile, leaders of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust point to historical claims dating back centuries, asserting ownership of the disputed lands and calling for a peaceful resolution.

Muslim leaders maintain that past agreements should be honored and caution against upsetting the fragile balance. As the legal battles continue and emotions run high, many worry whether these conflicts could escalate, repeating the divisive history witnessed in Ayodhya.

The followers of these religious sites are spread across India, with devotees of Krishna especially prominent in Gujarat and West Bengal, and Shiva worshippers mainly in southern states, where the BJP has had limited success. The outcome of these disputes could have wide-reaching effects on the country’s social and political fabric.