UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya's 'Mathura temple' tweet triggers political storm, Akhilesh Yadav says 'BJP has sensed its defeat'

Lucknow: Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, state’s Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s recent tweet on Krishna Temple in Mathura has triggered a political storm, with opposition leaders saying BJP is back to its Hindutva politics since it has already sensed its defeat. 

Maurya had on Wednesday stirred the political cauldron saying the party is preparing to build a grand temple in Mathura, as construction of temples in Ayodhya and Kashi is underway.

"The construction of grand temples is on in Ayodhya and Kashi, and preparations are on for one in Mathura (Ayodhya Kashi bhavya mandir nirmaan jaari hai Mathura kee tyaari hai)," Maurya said in a tweet in Hindi.

अयोध्या काशी भव्य मंदिर निर्माण जारी है
मथुरा की तैयारी है #जय_श्रीराम #जय_शिव_शम्भू #जय_श्री_राधे_कृष्ण — Keshav Prasad Maurya (@kpmaurya1) December 1, 2021

Mathura is considered to be the birthplace of Lord Shri Krishna. According to political analysts, the senior BJP leader is likely to have made the comment ahead of the UP Assembly election to rally the BJP support base in the state.

The supposed temple site, which is a subject of multiple lawsuits, is located inside an Aurangzeb-era mosque in Mathura and shares its premises with a prominent temple.

The Mathura district administration had on November 28 imposed prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144 following an announcement by the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha to install a Lord Krishna idol at the deity's ‘actual birthplace’, which it claims is inside the mosque.

“Nobody will be allowed to disturb the peace and tranquillity in Mathura,” District Magistrate Navneet Singh Chahal has said.

Section 144 of the CrPC prohibits the assembly of four or more people in an area. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the comment shows BJP is sensing defeat. "This (Maurya's tweet) indicates that the BJP has sensed a sure defeat in the upcoming UP Assembly elections," he said to a news channel. 

Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha has called off its proposed march to the Shahi Eidgah to install an idol of Lord Krishna. The Mahasabha had planned to install an idol of Lord Krishna at the Shahi Eidgah after elaborate rituals on December 6, following which the district administration was put on high alert.