Lucknow: Former Ayodhya MP Vinay Katiyar, a firebrand leader and the poster boy of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, is now looking to make a comeback in the electoral arena from the temple town.
In an exclusive interview with ThePrint, the 71-year-old said the “demand of supporters” has pushed him to be active on the ground again, especially after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost the crucial Ayodhya seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, just months after the consecration of the Ram temple.
Katiyar, the founder of the Bajrang Dal, said he was eyeing either the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections or the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, while dismissing the party’s informal 75-year age bar.
“Soon after the BJP’s defeat in Ayodhya in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, my supporters urged me to return to active ground politics because pushing our agenda on the ground was important,” he said.
“Keeping their expectations in mind, I am now considering contesting elections again, either the 2027 Assembly polls or the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. I am open to both options,” he added.
Katiyar has served three terms in Lok Sabha, and last contested the Lok Sabha election from Ayodhya in 2004. Between 2006 and 2018, he served twice as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
He has been sidelined for years now, but with the UP Assembly elections approaching, Katiyar is now making a renewed push to reassert his presence on the ground.
Modi ji Ram Mandir mein matha tekte hain, achhi baat hai; theek se matha nahin tekenge toh mastak par chot bhi lag sakti hai—Vinay Katiyar.
Recalling his long association with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Katiyar said he has known Modi since the late 1980s. However, he added that times have changed as Modi is now the prime minister. Katiyar said he does not consider himself “close” to the prime minister and has no communication with him.
“Modiji bows his head in the Ram temple, which is a good thing. But it is a temple made of stone; if he does not bow properly, he might even hurt his head. (Modi ji Ram Mandir mein matha tekte hain, achhi baat hai; theek se matha nahin tekenge toh mastak par chot bhi lag sakti hai),” he said.
Asked to elaborate, Katiyar said, “Samajhne waale samajh jaayenge.”
He said the BJP’s 2024 defeat in Ayodhya (which comes under Faizabad constituency) was disheartening but not a significant issue as setbacks are common in politics. What is important however, he said, is that the party does not move away from its core agenda of Hindutva politics.
When asked how he views the performance of the new Ayodhya MP, Samajwadi Party’s Awadhesh Prasad, Katiyar said, “I do not know him. He was just an MLA. By luck and coincidence, he won. Such things do not happen often. As per the feedback I am getting, people do not like him as an MP.”
Awadhesh Prasad defeated the BJP’s Lallu Singh in Faizabad in the elections.
Talking about his bond with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Katiyar said he had known Yogi’s guru, Mahant Avaidyanath, for a long time. Therefore, his connection was originally with Yogi’s guru, though he also appreciates the chief minister as a disciple of Avaidyanath.
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‘Mission Ayodhya incomplete’
Katiyar said “Mission Ayodhya” was not over even after the construction of the Ram temple.
There are still many things to be done, he said, hinting that certain structures should be removed, some of them even consigned to the Saryu river, and that Ayodhya must revolve solely around Lord Ram.
“Jo Ram ka nahi, wo kisi kaam ka nahi (Someone who is not devoted to Ram, is of no use),” he added. Katiyar refused to elaborate on his comment when asked whether he planned any further agitation against the local mosque.
Many have sacrificed their lives for it (Ram Temple). They are original custodians of its management. Neither PM, nor CM, but Ram bhakts are mukhiyas of Ram temple—Vinay Katiyar.
In November last year, Katiyar was not invited to the ‘Dhwajarohan’ (flag-hoisting) ceremony in Ayodhya. When asked why he was left out, Katiyar said the issue was now old. “Kiski haisiyat hai jo humein rok le? (Who has the authority to stop me?) I did not go on my own,” he said.
In his earlier statements, Katiyar had targeted Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, for not inviting him.
“As long as I live, I will remain committed to the Ram temple. Ram bhakts are the real strength behind the temple, not any individual. Many devotees have sacrificed their lives for it, and they are the original custodians of its management. Neither the PM, nor the CM but Ram bhakts are the mukhiyas (custodians) of the Ram temple,” he said.
Talking about the difference between the old and the new BJP, Katiyar said every leader has their own era. The old era is over, a new era is underway, he said. “Now Lal Krishna Advani is old, so Narendra Modi is leading. This is the cycle of time; it keeps changing. “
Katiyar emphasised the importance of better coordination between the RSS and the BJP.
“The RSS carries out daily grassroots activities; its role is to create awareness and foster unity among people. On the other hand, the organisation’s role is to handle political work,” he said.
“If both focus on their respective responsibilities, their coordination can yield positive results,” he added.
‘Bajrang Dal doing good job’
Katiyar believes the Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, is doing a good job on the ground.
When asked whether he thinks Bajrang Dal workers unnecessarily create disturbances in parks and public places on Valentine’s Day, he denied the allegation.
“They are doing a good job. Even on Valentine’s Day, they are performing their duties,” he said. “What kind of vulgarity has been going on in the country in the name of Valentine’s Day? So what is wrong if Bajrang Dal workers make the public aware of it? They should carry out more such activities.”
Talking about the Samajwadi Party’s Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak (PDA) politics, Katiyar said, “Every party has its own agenda and they are free to pursue it, but we must stay focused on ours. We should not deviate from Hindutva politics.”
“If required, I am ready to travel beyond Ayodhya as well, wherever needed. But we must not halt our activities; it is essential to remain committed to our agenda,” he added, hinting at Mathura and Kashi.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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