Top Muslim leaders in India have called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to resolve disputes concerning mosques and Hindu temples, stating that the Muslim minority feels threatened and their places of worship must be protected.
In a recent controversial case, a court allowed Hindus to perform prayers in a mosque dating back to the 17th century, which they claim was built after the destruction of a temple.
Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, the Secretary-General of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, stated, “Many people in the country claim that some historic mosques were built after the destruction of temples, but these accusations are baseless.” Speaking to journalists alongside other Muslim leaders and religious figures, he urged the government to put an end to such disputes and preserve the secular fabric of the nation.
Rahmani highlighted that the Muslim community feels “threatened and suffocated” in their country. The Ministry of Home Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Critics accuse Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of promoting the Hindu agenda and discriminating against Muslims, but he denies that his government is doing so.
Several Hindu groups, including the ideological offshoot of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, allege that several mosques in India were built over demolished Hindu temples during the Mughal Empire. One of these mosques was demolished by Hindu mobs in the northern city of Ayodhya in 1992.
Modi inaugurated a grand temple at the same site in January last year, fulfilling a decades-old promise of the Bharatiya Janata Party after the Supreme Court in 2019 ruled in favor of granting the site to Hindus. The inauguration came months before the general elections scheduled for May.
In a ruling earlier this week regarding another mosque, the court stated that Hindus can perform prayers at the Gyanvapi mosque in the holy city of Varanasi, after Hindu groups claimed that an archaeological survey found evidence that the mosque was built over a demolished temple. Muslim leaders have stated that they will appeal the decision to the higher court.
