4 months ago
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The Congress connected Friday (January 16, 2026) accused the Uttar Pradesh authorities of “completely destroying” the practice of Varanasi done the ongoing redevelopment of the Manikarnika Ghat, and demanded that each enactment beryllium stopped instantly and resumed lone aft consultations with spiritual leaders.
Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai alleged that the “Yogi-Modi government” claims to uphold Hindutva but is, successful reality, “completely atheistic”.
“Narendra Modi had laid the instauration chromatic successful 2023 for the beautification of Manikarnika Ghat but helium has wholly destroyed the Ghat successful the sanction of beautification,” Mr. Rai said astatine a property league astatine enactment office on with enactment workfellow Abhay Dubey.
Manikarnika Ghat is among the oldest and astir ineffable cremation grounds successful Hinduism, believed to assistance moksha, oregon liberation from the rhythm of commencement and death, and holds heavy spiritual and taste significance.
Damage to idol
The redevelopment task has triggered protests against a demolition thrust astatine the ghat, with demonstrators alleging harm to a century-old idol of Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar. The territory medication has denied the charge.
District Magistrate Satyendra Kumar said connected Wednesday (January 14) that the artefacts had been “secured” by the civilization section and would beryllium reinstalled successful their archetypal signifier aft the enactment was completed. He said the revamp aimed to amended sanitation and abstraction absorption astatine the ghat, which witnesses a ample fig of cremations daily.
Mr. Rai said the ghat held immense value crossed the world. “When radical from Hindu nine walk away, their past privation is that their assemblage beryllium cremated astatine Manikarnika Ghat,” helium said.
The U.P. Congress main besides accused the BJP authorities of undertaking commercialized operation successful spiritual spaces. “The BJP authorities has built a promenade successful the sanction of a corridor successful Baba Vishwanath’s ‘darbar’. Thousands of years-old temples were demolished and the Akshayavat histrion was chopped down and wholly destroyed to physique the mall,” Mr. Rai alleged
Claiming that statues astatine the ghat renovated by Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar had been broken, the U.P. Congress reiterated his party’s request that enactment astatine Manikarnika Ghat beryllium halted and resumed lone aft discussions with spiritual leaders. “The enactment of destroying Dalmandi should beryllium stopped and implicit arrangements for its rehabilitation should beryllium made. The Congress volition not let specified incorrect actions successful Banaras. We basal firmly with the radical and volition firmly face this government,” helium said.
Mr. Dubey alleged that the BJP government’s actions amounted to an insult to Lord Shankar and Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar. “This is simply a heinous transgression and it has happened astatine the behest of Modi ji,” helium said.
The party’s disapproval comes a time aft Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of wanting to erase humanities practice to “simply affix” his ain nameplate.
Congress wide caput Priyanka Gandhi Vadra besides attacked the government, saying that “destroying the country’s spiritual and humanities practice successful the sanction of improvement for the commercialized interests of a fewer individuals is simply a sedate sin”.
The protest, which began connected Tuesday (January 13), was led by members of the Pal Samaj Samiti and supported by sections of the Marathi assemblage and different section groups. Mahendra Pal of the Samiti claimed that the century-old idol of Holkar astatine the ghat was removed during the demolition drive. Ajay Sharma, president of the Sanatan Rakshak Dal, alleged that respective consecrated idols astatine the ghat were damaged, calling it an affront to spiritual sentiments.
