Akhada Parishad calls for ‘liberation’ of Kashi and Mathura

The Akhada Parishad said it is prepared to move the Supreme Court ‘free Kashi and Mathura’ where two mosques stand next to two temples.

Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP), the top decision making body of the 13 recognised Hindu monastic orders of the country, has now demanded ‘liberation’ of Kashi and Mathura by removing two mosques.

It has also called for support of other Hindu religious bodies including the VIshwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Rastriya Sawayamsevak sangh (RSS) to back their demand.

In Kashi (Varanasi), the Gyanvapi mosque shares a boundary wall with Kashi Vishwanath temple while in Mathura, the Shahi Idgah mosque stands next to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple premises - both of which the saints want removed.

In a meeting of the Akhada Parishad, held at Shri Mutt Baghambari Gaddi in the city, the saints from all prominent akhadas unanimously passed eight resolutions and demanded that as after a long wait of 500 years, work for starting construction of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya has finally started, it was now also time to ‘free Kashi and Mathura’ for which, if needed, ABAP was ready to even move Supreme Court.

“The Akhada Parishad appeals for voluntary support for liberating Kashi and Mathura from Hindu organisations including Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and also from common man of the country including both Hindus and Muslims. We wish for an amicable solution through consensus to this long pending demand but if this fails ABAP would move the Supreme court”, said Akhada prashad president Mahant Narendra Giri.

On the issue of next year’s Magh Mela, the Akhada Parishad appealed to the state government not to ban the annual religious fair. “We want that mela should be held according to the Covid-19 prevention guidelines of the central and state governments. We demand that rather than organisations, only a limited number of saints and all regular kalpwasis be allowed to stay at the mela area so that norms under the present crisis could be followed”, said Giri.

The saints also thanked the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath for his action against so-called ‘love jihad’. Mahant Giri said that the Parishad demanded a probe by the CBI into the Palghar incident in Maharashtra where two saints and their driver were lynched a few months ago.