Archaeologist KK Muhammed, who was part of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team that excavated the disputed site in Ayodhya in 1976, has said that BJP rule under Narendra Modi a dark age for the ASI. He made the remarks in an interview with The New Indian Express.
“The ASI has become a dead organisation and 10 years of BJP rule is a dark age of the organisation. I had undertaken the renovation of 80 temples that were destroyed in the earthquake in the Chambal area. We expected they (BJP) would be in the forefront of the renovation efforts. But not a single temple has been renovated in the last nine years,” Muhammed told The New Indian Express.
“They (BJP) themselves admit that it was a political project (laughs out). It is a mix of both,” he added when asked, “According to you, Modi has not shown any interest in renovating other temples, but was keen on Ayodhya temple. So, Modi’s interest in Ayodhya is not religious, but political?”
Muhammed also said that Muslims should willingly hand over (the structures at) Gyanvapi and Mathura to Hindus.
“The Muslim community should be ready to willingly hand over its rights over (the structures at) Varanasi and Mathura, too, to the Hindus. Tension is bound to be there. But from a historic perspective, there cannot be a lasting solution to the whole issue, without handing these two over. I always remind the Muslims that India, even after partition, remains a secular country because of its Hindu majority,” he said, adding, “Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura are three places as important to Hindus as Mecca and Madina are to Muslims. Hence, Muslims should be ready to willingly hand over these places.”
“Yes. There may be Islamic inscriptions, but in totality, it is a Hindu structure. Also, there are many literatures which support this. This issue has created a major divide between the Hindus and the Muslims. So, handing it over to Hindus is the only lasting solution,” Muhammed further said when asked, “Is there sufficient evidence in Gyanvapi to support claims of a temple there?”
Talking about the disputed structure at Ramjanmbhoomi, Muhammed said, “I accept there were attempts to whip up emotions. But even during my visit to Ayodhya in 1976-77, I could understand the heart-wrenching agony of the poor Hindus. Had it been Mecca or Madina, how many bombs would have exploded by now? Hindus allowed that structure to remain there for 500 years. We have to understand this magnanimity of Indian culture and Hinduism.”
