Saints threaten agitation over Varanasi Kashi Vishwanath temple

The Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti (ABSS) on Sunday asked the Muslims to "hand over" the Kashi Vishwanath temple land in Varanasi on which the Gyanvapi mosque currently exists and threatened to launch an agitation to 'liberate' the same if it did not happen.

"Give the Hindus whatever belongs to them else we will take it the way we have taken Ayodhya," said a senior member of the Samiti after paying obeisance at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

The saints were in Varanasi to take part in the meeting of the national executive of the Samiti.

"We appeal to the Muslim community to give us the Kashi Vishwanath temple land otherwise we will launch an Ayodhya like agitation to liberate it," he said.

The Samiti members also appealed to the Hindu community to donate for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and decided to organise community feasts for the purpose.

A Varanasi district court is already hearing a petition claiming ownership over the entire land on which the temple and the mosque existed. The petition claimed that the mosque had been built after demolishing a portion of the temple.

Similarly, a district court in Mathura is hearing a civil suit claiming ownership of the entire land on which the Srikrishna Janmabhoomi is situated and seeking removal of the Sahi Idgah Mosque.

Earlier also several saffron leaders had publicly vowed to 'liberate' the Kashi Vishwanath temple and the Srikrishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura. Some leaders had even threatened to demolish, what they termed the 'blots' on the rich history of Hinduism and must be 'removed' without delay.