Lucknow: In a fiery press conference held at the Uttar Pradesh Congress Headquarters, State Congress President and former minister Ajay Rai launched a scathing attack on the BJP government, accusing it of systematically erasing Hindu religious and cultural heritage sites under the guise of development and Hindutva.
“Every ancient city in the world—from Egypt to Venice—has preserved its original form. Only the BJP is destroying our sacred cultural legacy,” said Rai. Citing examples from Varanasi to Ayodhya, Rai condemned the demolition of historic Shivlings, temples, and sacred banyan trees during the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor construction. He further criticized the “repeated Pran Pratishtha” of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, calling it religiously inappropriate and unprecedented.
Rai expressed deep concern over what he called the government’s growing interference in sacred sites like Vindhyavasini Temple and the ancient streets of Vrindavan. “These are not tourist spots or picnic areas, they are centres of deep faith,” he said, alleging that the government is “commercializing devotion.”
Joining Rai at the press conference, Sohanlal Mishra, a Vrindavan Tirth Purohit and Vedic scholar, voiced anguish over state actions. “What even Aurangzeb did not do, Yogi Adityanath’s administration is doing,” Mishra said, referring to alleged plans to demolish small temples and homes of over 285 families associated with Thakur Banke Bihari Temple. He said families who have served the deity for generations are now facing eviction and threats from the administration.
Mishra questioned, “If we offer four times the land price, will Yogi Ji hand over Gorakh Peeth to us?” His sentiment was echoed by Deepak Parashar, also from Vrindavan, who claimed the administration is ignoring the spiritual essence of Vrindavan, where narrow lanes—‘galiyan’—are integral to its identity.
Parashar suggested a constructive alternative: “There is over 1,000 meters of vacant land near Banke Bihari Temple. It can be integrated for better crowd management without harming existing heritage.” He added, “The government can’t even provide basic amenities like clean water, public toilets, and smooth darshan, but is prepared to demolish 150 temples.”
The press meet was also attended by Dr. C.P. Rai, Chairman of the UPCC Media Department and former minister, Manish Srivastava Hindvi, Vice Chairman of the Media Department, and Congress spokespersons Sachin Rawat and Dr. Sudha Mishra.
The Congress vowed to stand with the residents and temple caretakers of Vrindavan, pledging full support against what it termed “religious and cultural destruction in the name of development.”
