Special Correspondent: A Hindu extremist preacher has called for the demolition of the historic Shahi Eidgah Mosque in northern India, urging supporters to replicate the movement that culminated in the destruction of the Babri Mosque in 1992, a demolition that triggered some of the country’s deadliest communal violence. The remarks were made by Swami Satchidanand, head of Shri Chitragupt Peeth, in a video circulated on social media and reported by local media.

Addressing supporters, he referred to the Shahi Eidgah Mosque as the Krishna Janmabhoomi (birth place of Hindu deity Krishna), and declared that the time had come to stop relying on the courts and instead mobilize supporters to reclaim the site, repeating the strategy that led to the 1992 mob demolition of the Babri Mosque.  Satchidanand claimed the Shahi Eidgah Mosque stands on the birthplace of the Hindu deity Krishna and urged followers to “break the dome,” saying Hindus should “repeat what was done for the Ram Temple.”

He also called for another kar seva—a mass volunteer mobilization that became synonymous with the violent movement leading to the demolition of the Babri Mosque. In the video, the preacher invoked the slogan, “One more push, bring down the dome,” and announced plans to celebrate the upcoming Janmashtami festival at what he described as Krishna’s original birthplace. He said preparations should begin to remove the mosque’s dome before the celebrations.

The Shahi Eidgah Mosque, located in the city of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, stands adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple complex. Hindu groups claim the mosque was built over a demolished temple during the Mughal era, while the mosque committee disputes those claims. Multiple lawsuits over the site remain pending before Indian courts.

The latest remarks come amid a series of legal and political campaigns targeting historic mosques across India, including matters involving the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and the Shahi Eidgah Mosque in Mathura. Muslim groups have warned that repeated demands to alter the status of centuries-old mosques threaten communal harmony and undermine legal protections for religious sites.