Since 1992 that marked the demolition of Babri Masjid, the BJP government under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah seems to be preparing for a similar event in near future. Though the verdict on the Babri Masjid demolition seemed to have been the end of the long religious tension between the Hindus and the Muslims, yet the peace and happiness are to be short-lived if the indications from the saffron camp are correct. The Hindutva agenda has worked wonders for BJP and the result of it can be taken as the 2nd coming of the Modi-led BJP government. Hence it seems like a far-fetched idea of BJP leaving the agenda any time soon.

BJP leaders seem to be immune to the problems of communal tension and least bothered with the fact that such a stance has been fetching the nation a bad name worldwide. Right-wing politics is here to stay and BJP is nowhere close to giving up its religious agenda in politics. Since the demolition of Babri Masjid, it can be experienced in the Hindu-dominated regions of the country that the BJP is living under the shadows of thoughts that it is the one behind liberating the Hindus and giving them a sense of being masters in their own land. Renaming towns and tweaking textbooks are just the beginning. BJP now is drunk in its power enjoying a full majority in both the houses of the parliament, is in no mood to relent from its mission of converting India into a Hindu Rashtra. And another milestone is now under its radar – Varanasi Mosque, Uttar Pradesh. Yes, BJP leaders are now after the Varanasi Mosque which they would make ready by the 2024 elections.

The only difference between the Babri and Varanasi mosques is the judiciary. In 1992 the BJP leaders were not so advocating to let the judiciary come in between them and their faith, but this time around, they seem to be leaning over the judiciary. In a recent petition filed in a Varanasi court, it has asked the court to overturn its 1991 law which makes it mandatory to maintain a status quo at all places of worship. This law has been interfering to advocate the pulling down of Varanasi and Mathura mosques which it has pledged to the Hindu majority. The court in return has directed the Archaeological Survey of India to find out whether the mosque currently stands over any ancient religious ruins. Interestingly, the BJP is the only party in modern times to focus on the desecration of religious sites since the Nazis burnt the Jewish synagogues in Germany in the 1930s. Even a layman can guess what the repercussions of the findings would be? Given the fact that to date the saffron brigade observes the day of Babri masjid demolition as ‘Shaurya Divas’, it raises many questions – the prime being – Is the country waiting for another Babri episode?