Former ASI regional director KK Muhammed calls for Muslims to hand over Mathura and Gyanvapi to Hindus. Speaking in Kozhikode, Kerala, Muhammed stated that these two sites are as important for Hindus as Mecca and Medina are for Muslims. He argued that Muslims should voluntarily transfer these sacred places for constructing magnificent Hindu temples, emphasizing that Mathura is the birthplace of Bhagwan Krishna and Gyanvapi is associated with Bhagwan Shiva.
Muhammed credited Hindu majority for India remaining secular despite Partition. He stated that even after giving a separate country, Pakistan, for the Muslim community, India remains secular only because of Hindu majority. Had it been a Muslim majority country, he said, it would never have been secular. He urged Muslims to recognize this fact and show certain gestures of goodwill toward the Hindu community.
The former ASI director blamed communist historians like Irfan Habib and JNU academics for complicating temple disputes. He claimed that a section of the Muslim community was ready to hand over Ram Janmabhoomi, but communist historians poisoned minds and created unnecessary conflicts. He called for direct dialogue between Hindu and Muslim leadership without interference from these historians. Muhammed also urged Hindus not to pursue claims beyond these three sites, advocating for mutual understanding rather than endless disputes over every mosque.
When historical wrongs remain unaddressed, wounds stay open. Mathura and Gyanvapi are not political demands. They are sacred sites where Hindu faith was suppressed. Goodwill requires acknowledgment, not denial. If India is to move forward, truth must be honored, not buried under ideological narratives.
