Watch: Modi Has Made 'Kashi Vishwanath Mall', Not Mandir, Says Temple's Mahant
The Kashi Vishwanath corridor project has been a way for the current Bharatiya Janata Party government to assert its Hindu credentials. Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 13 last year, less than a month before the polling dates for the currently assembly elections were announced, it became clear that the project was central to the party's upcoming campaign.
But do the people of the area really want this project, estimated to cost Rs 800 crore in total?
The Wire's Arfa Khanum Sherwani travels to Varanasi, a BJP stronghold and the Lok Sabha constituency from which the prime minister was elected, and speaks to the mahant of the Vishwanath temple, Rajendra Prasad Tiwari.
In the interview, Tiwari talks about how the current ruling dispensation is able to "market" religion, how it is using Kashi as a means to a political end and lots more.
The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.




