Sashikant Pandey, a leader of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), is a hardline Hindutva figure known for openly threatening to demolish Muslim places of worship and inciting violence. His speeches are marked by extreme religious fanaticism, aggressive calls to action, and a brazen disregard for legal and social order. He speaks with confidence, believing that courts will ultimately side with Hindus in disputes over mosques, and uses Ayodhya’s Babri Masjid demolition as a blueprint for future destruction.

In September 2023, in Sonitpur, Assam, Pandey stood before a crowd and declared that all mosques built on what he claimed was Hindu land would be destroyed. He vowed to build grand temples in their place, pointing to Ayodhya’s Ram temple as an example of what was to come. “We will destroy every masjid that is built on our land, and we will build a grand Ram temple,” he said, declaring that Hindus would take back Ayodhya, Kashi, and Mathura—three sites that Hindutva groups have long targeted for mosque demolitions. 

“Remember 1992 Babri demolition,” he told the gathering. “Today, lakhs of Hindus pray in Ayodhya. I promise you, now in Mathura, we will build a grand temple.”

A few days later, on September 11, 2023, Pandey repeated the same threats in Sonitpur, Assam, showing that his words were not just a one-time statement but a deliberate, ongoing campaign. He again called for the demolition of Muslim places of worship, particularly the Shahi Idgah mosque, and insisted that courts would rule in favor of Hindus. His speech left no room for doubt—he was preparing the ground for further conflict. “We want Ayodhya, Kashi, and Mathura. Remember Babri. Lakhs of Hindus prayed in Ayodhya, and now we will build temples everywhere,” he said.