Congress slams U.P. govt over Manikarnika Ghat redevelopment, alleges damage to Varanasi’s heritage

The Congress on Friday (January 16, 2026) accused the Uttar Pradesh government of “completely destroying” the heritage of Varanasi through the ongoing redevelopment of the Manikarnika Ghat, and demanded that all work be stopped immediately and resumed only after consultations with religious leaders.

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai alleged that the “Yogi-Modi government” claims to uphold Hindutva but is, in reality, “completely atheistic”.

“Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone in 2023 for the beautification of Manikarnika Ghat but he has completely destroyed the Ghat in the name of beautification,” Mr. Rai said at a press conference at party headquarters along with party colleague Abhay Dubey.

Manikarnika Ghat is among the oldest and most sacred cremation grounds in Hinduism, believed to grant moksha, or liberation from the cycle of birth and death, and holds deep religious and cultural significance.

Damage to idol

The redevelopment project has triggered protests against a demolition drive at the ghat, with demonstrators alleging damage to a century-old idol of Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar. The district administration has denied the charge.

District Magistrate Satyendra Kumar said on Wednesday (January 14) that the artefacts had been “secured” by the culture department and would be reinstalled in their original form after the work was completed. He said the revamp aimed to improve sanitation and space management at the ghat, which witnesses a large number of cremations daily.

Mr. Rai said the ghat held immense significance across the world. “When people from Hindu society pass away, their last wish is that their body be cremated at Manikarnika Ghat,” he said.

The U.P. Congress chief also accused the BJP government of undertaking commercial construction in religious spaces. “The BJP government has built a mall in the name of a corridor in Baba Vishwanath’s ‘darbar’. Thousands of years-old temples were demolished and the Akshayavat tree was cut down and completely destroyed to build the mall,” Mr. Rai alleged

Claiming that statues at the ghat renovated by Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar had been broken, the U.P. Congress reiterated his party’s demand that work at Manikarnika Ghat be halted and resumed only after discussions with religious leaders. “The work of destroying Dalmandi should be stopped and complete arrangements for its rehabilitation should be made. The Congress will not allow such wrong actions in Banaras. We stand firmly with the people and will firmly confront this government,” he said.

Mr. Dubey alleged that the BJP government’s actions amounted to an insult to Lord Shankar and Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar. “This is a heinous crime and it has happened at the behest of Modi ji,” he said.

The party’s criticism comes a day after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of wanting to erase historical heritage to “simply affix” his own nameplate.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also attacked the government, saying that “destroying the country’s religious and historical heritage in the name of development for the commercial interests of a few individuals is a grave sin”.

The protest, which began on Tuesday (January 13), was led by members of the Pal Samaj Samiti and supported by sections of the Marathi community and other local groups. Mahendra Pal of the Samiti claimed that the century-old idol of Holkar at the ghat was removed during the demolition drive. Ajay Sharma, president of the Sanatan Rakshak Dal, alleged that several consecrated idols at the ghat were damaged, calling it an affront to religious sentiments.