Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath criticized the Congress for spreading misinformation about temple demolitions in Varanasi. He emphasized the need to debunk such false claims in front of the public. Adityanath, speaking after offering prayers at Baba Kashi Vishwanath Dham, highlighted similar conspiracies during the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor construction.
Alleging that remnants of broken idols were circulated on social media to falsely depict temple demolitions, Adityanath dismissed recent viral videos as inauthentic. He accused the use of AI-generated content to mislead people and disrupt development work in Varanasi. Adityanath stressed the city’s progress in preserving its spiritual and cultural heritage over the past 11 years.
The Chief Minister pointed out the significant increase in devotees visiting the Kashi Vishwanath shrine post-construction of the corridor. He mentioned a rise from 5,000 to 25,000 devotees daily to 1.25 to 1.5 lakh per day. Adityanath also highlighted Kashi’s contribution of Rs 1.3 lakh crore to the country’s GDP since the corridor’s completion. He refuted Congress’s claims of temple demolitions during the corridor’s construction, stating that the temples were restored, not destroyed.
