Hyderabad, Sep 5 (PTI) Condemning the demolition of a mosque in Uttar Pradesh, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday asked whether freedom of religion guaranteed in the Constitution applies to Muslims or not.
An illegally-constructed mosque located within the premises of the district collectorate office in Saharanpur was demolished early Saturday, officials said.
Owaisi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP, the RSS and UP CM Yogi Adityanath have a hatred towards mosque.
The mosque, located inside the Saharanpur Collectorate, has been active since 1911 or even earlier and it was built on a land privately donated by a Muslim individual for that purpose. The mosque remained active right up until September 2026, he claimed.
About a month and a half ago, an order was issued by the District Magistrate, claiming that it was not a mosque and ordering its removal.
The matter was taken to court, but the lower court did not grant a stay, he said.
Why was the mosque demolished at 5 AM on Saturday in a hurry without waiting for the matter to be heard in the higher courts, he said.
This shows that the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh did not want the case to reach the higher courts because they knew they were in the wrong, he claimed.
The BJP government and the Uttar Pradesh chief minister are acting unconstitutionally, leading to the demolition of not just one, but several mosques and the destruction of graveyards in the region, he alleged.
“We want to ask the BJP, CM Adityanath and the prime minister, does the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion, framed by Babasaheb Ambedkar in the Constitution of India, not apply to Muslims,” he asked.
He also alleged that the administration carried out the demolition in the early hours like “thieves”.
Seeking to know what message the BJP and UP government are sending out to the country and the world with the demolition of the mosque, he asked whether freedom of religion and rule of law ended in the state.
The principles of law, including Waqf by User and adverse possession, are in favour of the mosque, he said.
He alleged that a conspiracy to weaken the Constitution was made in the demoliton of the Saharanpur mosque.
The demolition would not benefit the Uttar Pradesh CM in the elections, he said.
Alleging that mosques are targeted wherever the BJP is in power, he said that the Constitution is weakened by the demolition.
Appealing to those who manage the mosque to appeal in higher courts against the demolition, Owaisi said the AIMIM is ready to extend help to them. PTI SJR SJR KH
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