BJP harbours hatred for religious freedom: Owaisi on mosque demolition

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi accused the BJP of harbouring hatred for religious freedom after a Saharanpur mosque was demolished. Officials stated the demolition was carried out following a court order upholding its removal from government land.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi (Photo/ANI)

Owaisi Accuses BJP of Hating Religious Freedom

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday accused the BJP of "harbouring hatred" for the freedom of religion following the demolition of the Saharanpur mosque in Uttar Pradesh on September 5. "...When the mosque was constructed, a local Muslim family donated land for both the mosque and the temple. That mosque is a registered Waqf property and enjoys legal protection. The new amendment to the Waqf Act introduced by the PM Modi government is unconstitutional, flawed, and objectionable... If, hypothetically, a structure is built on government land and remains there for 30 years, the occupant acquires rights through adverse possession," he claimed. "The BJP simply harbours hatred for the freedom of religion guaranteed by the Indian Constitution; that is why mosques have been demolished across the country, in Jaipur and Saharanpur, for instance...", he told reporters here.

Demolition Followed Court Order

The Saharanpur Collectorate mosque was demolished early Saturday following a court order upholding its removal. The District Judge's court on September 4 dismissed the mosque committee's appeal and upheld the City Magistrate's earlier order.

The City Magistrate's court had on July 17 ordered demolition of the structure and imposed compensation of approximately Rs 6.41 crore in connection with alleged encroachment and misuse of government land.

Saharanpur DIG Abhishek Singh said the demolition was being carried out following the court's order and in accordance with legal procedures. He said additional PAC and RAF personnel had been deployed at strategic locations and that social media was being monitored to prevent rumours. (ANI)

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