To ‘liberate’ Kashi and Mathura, mosques should give way to mandirs, says Karnataka minister

K S Eshwarappa said the ground breaking ceremony for the Ram temple in Ayodhya meant erasing a ”mark of slavery”.

K S Eshwarappa, a senior minister in Karnataka declared shortly after the ground breaking ceremony for the Ram temple in Ayodhya that the focus would be next on “liberating” Kashi and Mathura.

Karnataka minister K S Eshwarappa speaking at an event in Shivamogga district.(ANI)

Eshwarappa who is the panchayat raj and rural development minister in chief minister B S Yediyurappa’s cabinet was speaking at an event in Shivamogga district where puja and havans were organized to mark the bhoomi pujan in Ayodhya.

“A mark of slavery has been erased. Two more remain at Kashi and Mathura, which need to be (erased) and where the mosques should give way to mandirs.”

The minister who is also a former president of the Karnataka unit of the BJP said that all efforts should be carried out to ensure that other marks of slavery (ghulamgiri) are erased to build a strong India.

Congress spokesperson B L Shankar refused to comment on the remarks of Eshwarappa saying “We don’t know whether this is the official stance of BJP as a party or Eshwarappa’s personal stance. If the BJP takes a stand on this, then only we will comment on the matter.”

Incidentally, the Congress has also welcomed the bhoomi pujan in Ayodhya but has said the issue should be used to unite and not divide people. KPCC President D K Shivakumar had declared on Tuesday that ‘Lord Ram is in the hearts of all Congressmen.”

Earlier Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers and laid the foundation stone for a grand temple at the site believed to be Lord Ram’s birthplace in Ayodhya.