Amidst escalating tensions surrounding religious sites, influential leaders from various faiths came together today, imploring the Indian government to quell disputes over mosques and Hindu temples. The plea emphasized the need to safeguard places of worship, asserting that the Muslim minority feels threatened and that their rights should be upheld.
In a recent contentious episode, a court decision permitted Hindus to conduct prayers in a 17th-century mosque, a move contested by Muslim leaders who argue that it was built without any temple destruction.
Addressing the media, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, dismissed allegations of historic mosques being constructed on the ruins of temples, labeling them as false. Rahmani urged the government to intervene and bring an end to such disputes, emphasizing the importance of preserving the nation’s secular fabric.
Expressing concern over the perceived threat to the Muslim community, Rahmani asserted, “We urge the government to put an end to such disputes and save the secular fabric of the nation.”
While the Home Ministry remained silent on the matter, the leaders, representing diverse religious groups, called for a united front against religious discord.
The longstanding battle over religious sites has fueled divisions in India, a nation with a Hindu majority but also home to the world’s third-largest Muslim population. Critics accuse the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of pursuing a pro-Hindu agenda and fostering discrimination against Muslims. However, Modi refutes these claims, asserting that his government is committed to impartiality.
Hindu groups, including the BJP’s ideological parent, contend that several mosques were constructed over Hindu temples during the Mughal empire. The contentious issue has sparked violence, notably culminating in the demolition of a mosque in Ayodhya in 1992.
Maulana Syed Mahmood Madani, a leader of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, a council of Muslim theologians, expressed concern over the questioning of the origins of various mosques post the legal victory in Ayodhya. He appealed to the government and judiciary to protect Muslim interests and religious sites.
The recent court ruling allowing Hindus to offer prayers at Gyanvapi, located in the holy city of Varanasi, has further intensified the religious discourse. Hindu groups claim that an archaeological survey validates their assertion that the mosque was built over a razed temple. Muslim leaders have vowed to challenge the court’s decision in a higher court, underscoring the ongoing struggle for religious harmony and inclusivity in India.
