CM Yogi gives big statement on Kashi temple demolition videos, calls them ‘fake’

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath alleged that the remains of the idols that have been broken from the workshops of idol-making were making rounds on social media.

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, on January 17, i.e., Saturday, refused the claims that the demolition of temples happened in Varanasi. He accused the Congress party of spreading misinformation on the matter with their campaigns so that unrest could be created, as it weakens the ongoing development-related work in the city of Varanasi. He spoke to the reporters after offering prayers at the holy Kashi Vishwanath Dham. He said that the videos that are propagating on social media in the name of the temple demolitions in Kashi and Manikarnika Ghat are fully false. He added that the videos are meant to mislead the devotees.

CM Yogi on fake visuals to mislead public trust

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath alleged that the remains of the idols that have been broken from the workshops of idol-making were making rounds on social media. He added that some videos were either edited on a selective basis or made using artificial intelligence (AI) models.

CM highlighted that this was being done to increase the situation of panic and damage the development-related activities in some regions like Dalmandi. He said, “Everyone knows the temples at Manikarnika Ghat are standing exactly where they always have been.”

Accusations against opposition party

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister targeted the Indian National Congress (INC) and said that the party had posed such allegations against the BJP government earlier too, when the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor was being built. He added that no temple was destroyed or demolished during the project. As per CM Yogi, the structures that were previously neglected had now been restored.

Add India.com as a Preferred Source

CM Yogi on Kashi’s growth

CM Yogi said that Kashi had not been given the respect or development for decades after independence. During the last 11 years, he stated that the city has witnessed progress, which has happened by the preservation of its religious identity while also going through large-scale development in infrastructure and tourism.

He gave an example of the footfall of Kashi Vishwanath shrine and stated that the daily visitors have now increased from 5,000-25,000 to almost 125,000-150,000. According to Yogi Adityanath, the increase of devotees has happened after the corridor project.

काशी विश्वनाथ धाम बनने के बाद से लेकर अब तक,
काशी ने देश की जीडीपी में ₹1.3 लाख करोड़ का योगदान दिया है… pic.twitter.com/joFN6WT1p3
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) January 17, 2026