Want to affix your nameplate: Kharge to PM on Manikarnika Ghat redevelopment

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge connected Thursday (January 15, 2026) lashed retired astatine Prime Minister Narendra Modi implicit the redevelopment of the Manikarnika Ghat successful Varanasi and alleged that helium wants to erase each humanities practice to "simply affix" his ain nameplate.

"You person committed the transgression of demolishing the uncommon past practice of Manikarnika Ghat, which was described successful the Gupta play and aboriginal restored by Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar, nether the pretext of renovation," Mr. Kharge said successful a station connected X.

In the sanction of beautification and commercialisation, Prime Minister Modi has ordered "bulldozers to demolish centuries-old religious, cultural, and spiritual practice astatine Manikarnika Ghat successful Varanasi", helium said.

"Narendra Modi ji... You privation to erase each humanities practice and simply affix your ain nameplate," Mr. Kharge said successful his post.

Protestors person opposed a demolition thrust nether the redevelopment program of the Manikarnika Ghat and alleged harm to a century-old idol of Ahilyabai Holkar, a complaint refuted by the territory administration.

District Magistrate Satyendra Kumar connected Wednesday (January 14, 2026) said artefacts had been "secured" by the civilization section and would beryllium reinstalled successful their archetypal signifier aft the enactment is completed. He added that the revamp was aimed astatine improving sanitation and abstraction absorption astatine the ghat which witnesses a ample fig of cremations daily.

According to Mr. Kharge, tiny and ample temples and shrines were demolished successful the sanction of a corridor, and it is present the crook of the past ghats.

Kashi, the world's oldest city, is simply a confluence of spirituality, culture, education, and past that attracts the full world, the Congress main said.

"Is the volition down each this again to payment your concern associates? You person handed implicit water, forests, and mountains to them, and present it's the crook of our taste heritage," Mr. Kharge alleged.

"The radical of the state person 2 questions for you: Couldn't restoration, cleaning, and beautification person been done portion preserving the heritage? The full state remembers however your government, without immoderate consultation, removed the statues of large Indian personalities, including Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar, from the Parliament analyzable and placed them successful a corner," Mr. Kharge said.

At the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial, the sacrifices of our state fighters were erased from the walls successful the sanction of this aforesaid "renovation", helium claimed.

Why were the centuries-old statues astatine Manikarnika Ghat, which fell unfortunate to the bulldozers, destroyed and reduced to rubble, helium asked.

"Couldn't they person been preserved successful a museum? You claimed, 'Maa Ganga has called me'. Today, you person forgotten Ma Ganga. The ghats of Varanasi are the individuality of Varanasi. Do you privation to marque these ghats inaccessible to the public?" Mr. Kharge said.

Millions of radical travel to Kashi each twelvemonth successful the last stages of their lives to attain salvation, Mr. Kharge said and asked the Prime Minister if his "intention to betray the religion of these devotees".

The protest, which began connected Tuesday (January 13, 2026), 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.

Congress's Uttar Pradesh president, Ajay Rai, accused the BJP authorities of destroying the historical Manikarnika Ghat successful the sanction of renovation, calling it "an onslaught connected the city's psyche and Sanatan culture"

Manikarnika Ghat is among the oldest and astir ineffable cremation grounds successful Hinduism and is believed to assistance 'moksha', oregon liberation from the rhythm of commencement and death, giving it immense spiritual and taste significance.