UP Assembly polls: BJP is keeping emotions alive on Kashi and Mathura

A Krishna janmabhoomi temple in Mathura was a recurrent theme for the ruling BJP in the run-up to the Assembly polls

The Supreme Court’s verdict on the Ram janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute in Ayodhya on November 9, 2019, settled the issue by giving ownership of the disputed 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya to the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust.

Does the verdict have a bearing on other centuries-old disputes regarding temples and masjids? The answer lies in the statements of former BJP MP Vinay Katiyar, one of the key accused (now exculpated) in the demolishing of the Babri Masjid, by calling for temple construction in Kashi and Mathura soon after the apex court’s decision.

With the ongoing elections in UP, the pitch for separating the Kashi-Mathura