KALABURAGI: National president of All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday expressed his anguish over the inauguration of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya on January 22. Speaking to the media, he said Babri Masjid and its surrounding area were systematically taken away from Indian Muslims and the inauguration of Ram Mandir at that place is symbolic of showing Muslims their place in India.
He said Muslims offered namaz at Babri Masjid for over 500 years and when Govind Ballabh Pant was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, idols were placed inside the Masjid. “At that time, KK Nair was the collector of Ayodhya. He closed the Masjid and allowed Hindus to worship in that place. Ram Mandir was not in existence when VHP was formed. Mahatma Gandhi, a great devotee of Sri Ram, never mentioned a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya during his lifetime.”
The AIMIM leader said, “Had GB Pant removed those idols from the Masjid and had the Masjid not been demolished in 1992, we would not have to see things how they are today. Even the Supreme Court doesn’t say anywhere that Babri Masjid was constructed by demolishing any temple. Our people have sacrificed to protect Babri Masjid. How can we forget it?”