CPI(M) opposes RSS chief’s remarks on Kashi and Mathura, Owaisi terms Sambhal BJP-RSS agenda

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has opposed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks that appeared to reignite campaigns over the Kashi and Mathura mosques, while All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi has alleged that Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh is the latest target of the BJP-RSS Hindutva agenda.

The CPI(M) said the RSS chief’s comments, delivered at a lecture series in New Delhi marking the centenary year of the organisation, reflected a disregard for the Constitution and violated laws that prohibit the alteration of religious sites existing before 1947.

Bhagwat had stated that while the RSS as an organisation would not participate in fresh temple movements, its swayamsevaks were free to join campaigns concerning Kashi and Mathura. He further suggested that Muslims should relinquish claims to three disputed sites, including Ayodhya, in the interest of harmony.

According to the CPI(M), the remarks amounted to an attempt to reignite divisive temple campaigns despite the demolition of the Babri Masjid having prompted Parliament to legislate against changes to pre-1947 religious sites.

The party recalled that following the Babri demolition, Hindutva groups popularised the slogan that Kashi and Mathura would be taken up after Ayodhya, a call it said had since been repeatedly used to provoke communal tensions.

The CPI(M) accused the RSS of deliberately stoking such issues to distract attention from pressing governance failures. It said the timing of Bhagwat’s comments indicated an attempt to shield the ruling BJP from rising public discontent ahead of the general elections.

The party pointed to worsening economic conditions, higher US tariffs, attacks on peasants and workers, and mounting allegations of electoral malpractice as reasons for growing frustration with the government. By raising emotive religious disputes, the CPI(M) argued, the RSS was seeking to polarise society along communal lines and shift focus from the government’s failings.

The party urged citizens to remain vigilant against what it described as divisive politics aimed at undermining unity and integrity. It called for a broad-based resistance involving all sections of society to safeguard constitutional principles and protect communal harmony.

Meanwhile, Owaisi raised concerns about Sambhal, where violence broke out in November 2024, and a three-member panel submitted a report earlier this week to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The AIMIM leader claimed the report was being used to further the BJP-RSS agenda in the region.

The panel’s findings highlighted demographic changes in Sambhal, noting a significant decline in the Hindu population from nearly half at the time of independence to around 15 per cent now, while the Muslim population increased to about 85 per cent.

Owaisi alleged that these findings were being selectively emphasised to target the Muslim community and justify the Hindutva project. He said the government had failed to ensure justice for those killed in police firing during the November violence, and accused it of using the report to inflame communal tensions.