Common people are raising issues like Gyanvapi, not BJP: Vijayvargiya

Indore, May 17 (PTI) BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Tuesday said religious issues like the one related to Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque complex, where a court-ordered videography survey has been completed, are being raised by common citizens and not his party.

He said such issues are being raised by members of the public as they feel the BJP governments at the Centre as well as in Uttar Pradesh are capable of resolving them in a proper manner and also because they do not have faith in the Congress.

"No BJP worker has filed the case in the (Varanasi) court on the issue of Gyanvapi mosque....the case has been filed by a common citizen who is a great devotee of Lord Shiva,” Vijayvargiya told reporters here.

“It (the Gyanvapi mosque issue) is not an agenda of any particular party. It is an agenda of the public,” he asserted.

The BJP leader was responding to allegations levelled by the Opposition that the saffron party was raking up the Gyanvapi mosque and other emotive matters to divert people's attention from issues like rising inflation and unemployment.

The mosque is located close to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple and a Varanasi court is hearing a plea by a group of women seeking permission for daily prayers before the idols on its outer walls.

Vijayvargiya said people feel that atrocities committed in the country in the past can be brought to the notice of the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

Referring to the Bhojshala dispute in neighbouring Dhar district, the BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh advised the communities involved in the row to sit across the table and resolve the issue amicably.

Bhojshala is an ASI-protected monument, which Hindus believe is a temple of Waghdevi (Saraswati), while the Muslim community treats it as Kamal Maula Mosque.

On the issue of local body elections in Madhya Pradesh, he said the BJP will ensure that more than 27 per cent OBC candidates are fielded in these polls and his party will protect the rights of the community.

The Supreme Court last week directed the state election commission (SEC) to notify local body polls in Madhya Pradesh within two weeks without the other backward classes (OBC) quota. PTI HWP MAS RSY RSY