RSS chief Bhagwat’s remarks on Mathura-Kashi are to shield BJP government from public anger: CPI(M)

RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat is attempting to reignite the Mathura and Kashi disputes to “shield the BJP government from public anger ahead of the coming election” CPI(M) Polit Bureau said in a statement. 

The Polit Bureau said Mr. Bhagwat’s remarks reflect the RSS’s disregard for the Indian Constitution and were in violation of the law of the land.

Quoting Mr. Bhagwat’s statement that Muslims should ‘give away’ the mosques in these two places for ‘brotherhood’, the party flagged the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which prohibits the alteration of any religious site that existed before 1947. This law, the CPI(M) said, dictated that the status quo must be maintained in both Mathura and Kashi.

“Such demands are aimed at provoking communal passions, diverting public attention, and polarising society along religious lines. The RSS chief is raking up these divisive issues to shield the BJP government from public anger ahead of the upcoming elections,” the party noted. 

The CPI(M) said this was a long-held practice of the RSS and its affiliates to “incite communal divisions whenever they seek to distract people from their worsening economic conditions. “With higher U.S. tariffs, a weakening economy, growing attacks on peasants and workers, and mounting proof of electoral malpractices and manipulation, the public are increasingly getting disillusioned with the BJP-led government, seeing its failures more clearly,” the Polit Bureau said. 

The party urged people to remain vigilant against the divisive policies of the RSS. “The unity and integrity of India are of utmost importance and must be safeguarded at all costs. To achieve this, it is urgently necessary to build broad-based resistance by uniting all sections of the people,” the Polit Bureau statement said.