Ballia (UP), Sep 15 (PTI) The BJP's Uttar Pradesh chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary on Sunday said the party would abide by the laid-down procedures of law on the Gyanvapi issue, a day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called it an "embodiment of Lord Vishwanath himself".
Adityanath had on Saturday said, "It is unfortunate that some people call Gyanvapi a mosque, whereas it is a form of Lord Vishwanath himself."
He also mentioned the mythological sage Adi Shankar and narrated an anecdote about Shankar's meeting with Lord Vishwanath in Kashi.
Asked about Adityanath's statement, Chaudhary said, "The BJP will follow the laid-down procedures of law on the issue."
"I don't know in what context the chief minister made his remark but the entire country knows what his (Adityanath's) view has been regarding our dev sthans," the BJP leader added.
The Gyanvapi issue has been at the centre of a long-drawn legal battle, with the Hindu side arguing that the mosque was allegedly built on the remains of a pre-existing temple. The claim has been contested by the Muslim side.
Chaudhary, who was talking to reporters after reviewing the party's membership campaign in Ballia's Basantpur, also expressed confidence that the BJP would get people's blessings in the future despite suffering an electoral setback during the Lok Sabha polls.
"As a political party, the BJP accepted the people's decision. There are victories and defeats in a democracy. It is a matter of pride for us that the people of the country have given Modi ji an opportunity to be prime minister for the third time," he said.
The BJP and its allies won 36 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections.
Asked about BJP allies Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party and NISHAD party supporting a "caste census", Chaudhary said, "Our government is working for all sections of society. We will move forward on the basis of reservation system provided in the Constitution."
Addressing a programme earlier, Chaudhary said, "Our party works in a democratic way. The opposition is spreading confusion about the Constitution and reservation while the BJP is the only party in which there is a reservation system."
He also claimed everyone knew for whom the Samajwadi Party and the Congress have reservation.