On December 6, 1992, 22-year-old Ajit Gopchade was photographed along with a group of youths standing atop the dome of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya a little before it was demolished by the mob. Gopchade is now 52 and will soon be seen in the Rajya Sabha.

Apart from fielding Congress defector Ashok Chavan to the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra, the BJP has fielded “karsevak” Gopchade from the state, appearing to reward him for his contribution to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

The development comes close on the heels of the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month, marking a triumphant conclusion of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement that transformed the BJP’s political fortunes. Veteran L.K. Advani, who led the Ram temple movement, has been conferred the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour.

Gopchade, currently vice-president of the Maharashtra BJP, had just completed his MBBS when he led a team of around 300 youths to Ayodhya for “karseva” to serve Lord Ram.

“I had gone to Ayodhya to do ‘Ram seva’ and I am proud of it,” he told news channels after his nomination to the Rajya Sabha.

He acknowledged that he was part of the viral photo from December 6, 1992, that showed a group of youths triumphantly standing atop one of the three domes of the Babri Mosque but denied that he had played a role in pulling down the mosque. Ground reports from the time had said the “karsevaks”, led by the BJP and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad leadership, had come prepared with tools to demolish the mosque.

“I was one of the lakhs of karsevaks. As energetic youths, we climbed atop one of the domes of the disputed structure but came down as we saw other domes crumbling,” Gopchade told news channels, stressing that as a medical person, his priority was to save the lives of the youths he was leading.

Gopchade claimed that in 1992 he was not associated with any party or organisation but was deeply inspired by Hindutva. He said as a youth he used to organise “Ram shila pujan” in the rural areas of Maharashtra as his contribution to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

Despite his claims, Gopchade had been closely associated with the RSS since his student days and had played a key role in spreading Hindutva while serving as a doctor. He later joined the BJP, completed his MD from a government medical college and served as a convener of the party’s doctors’ cell. Later, he was promoted to the post of vice-president of the party.

In appreciation of his organisational capability and his active role in organising medical camps during Covid-19, the BJP had recommended his candidature for the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls in May 2020. His name, however, was dropped at the last moment.

Gopchade now has been given a bigger profile and would soon be seen rubbing shoulders with the top central leadership of the BJP in the Upper House of Parliament.