Clamour rises for 'liberating' Kashi Vishwanath, Mathura temples after Ram temple brick-laying ceremony

After Wednesday's brick laying ceremony for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, there seemed to a renewed clamour among the saints, especially those associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) for 'liberating' the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi and the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura.

The seers have also decided to celebrate August five as the 'freedom day for Lord Ram' every year so that the future generations do not forget the sacrifices made by the Hindus for the Ram Temple.

All India Akhara Parishad (AIAP), an apex body of the seers in the country, on Thursday said that the fight for the Ram Temple had now ended and now it was the turn of Kashi and Mathura.

"We have got Ram Temple.....now we will liberate the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi and Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura," the AIAP president Mahant Narendra Giri said.

"Kashi and Mathura are also blots for the Hindus....they must also be freed," he said. The Mahant appealed to the seers and saints to launch a "peaceful movement" to 'free' Kashi and Mathura.

Senior BJP leader Vinay Katiyar had also called for 'liberating' Kashi and Mathura.

According to the sources, the chief priest, who had performed the rituals for the Ram Temple 'bhoomi pujan' in Ayodhya on Wednesday, wanted to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi to 'liberate' Kashi and Mathura but was stopped by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Trust, which was overseeing Temple construction work.

The chief priest Gangadhar Pathak said that he wanted the prime minister to promise 'liberation' of the twin temples as 'dakshina' (a gift in cash or kind or promise given to the priests by the person for whom he performs the puja).

Pathak was heard mentioning the term 'dakshina' several times while performing the rituals.