New Delhi: The Gyanvapi complex in Kashi has recently gained attention as the Allahabad High Court, following the District Court, granted permission for Hindus to worship in the Vyas basement of Gyanvapi. Worship in this basement had ceased in 1993 when it was locked by the Mulayam Yadav government. Despite the opposition from the Muslim side, claiming that the mosque wasn't constructed by demolishing any temple, controversies persist.

A viral video from May 2022 features Marxist historian Irfan Habib admitting that many temples in Mathura and Varanasi were demolished by the Mughals, with mosques built on those sites. In this video, Habib questions the government's role in demolishing structures built in 1670, emphasizing India's Monument Protection Act.

High priest of Leftist history Irfan Habib admits to the plunder!
But he lacks the grace to tell his community that #Gyanvapi, Krishna Janmasthan must be returned to their rightful custodians. pic.twitter.com/qoJ0hlIv2M

— Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) January 16, 2024

Journalist Abhijeet Majumder shared the video, suggesting that Gyanvapi, Krishna Janmasthan, and Mathura should be returned to their rightful custodians. Senior adviser Kanchan Gupta, from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, shared the video, highlighting Irfan Habib's acknowledgment of Mughal-led temple demolitions in Varanasi and Mathura.

It's crucial to note that the Mughals demolished several temples in India to establish their rule, replacing them with mosques. The Ram Mandir has a similar historical context dating back 492 years, and its construction is eagerly anticipated, with the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony scheduled for January 22 in Ayodhya.

The Kashi Vishwanath temple, standing tall for centuries, became a target for the Mughals, leading to its demolition by Aurangzeb in 1669. Following the Ram Mandir verdict, the Krishna Janmabhoomi Nirman Nyas aims to reclaim land for religious and cultural functions next to the mosque.

Since the Babri mosque's demolition in 1992, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has advocated for the 'liberation' of Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura and the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.

After the Supreme Court's Ram Janmabhoomi verdict, there's a growing Hindu demand to reclaim Kashi and Mathura, in addition to Ayodhya. Reclaiming the disputed sites faces a significant hurdle in the form of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, prohibiting the conversion of places of worship into sites of a different religion. While Section 4 preserves the religious character as of August 15, 1947, Section 5 specifically exempted the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute from the law.

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