AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday condemned the demolition of a mosque inside the Saharanpur district collectorate premises in Uttar Pradesh and questioned whether the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion applied to Muslims.
The mosque was demolished early Saturday after officials described it as an illegally constructed structure, according to a PTI report.
Owaisi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP, the RSS and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were opposed to mosques.
Claiming that the mosque had been functioning since 1911 or earlier, Owaisi said it was built on land privately donated by a Muslim individual for the purpose and had remained operational until September 2026.
He said the district magistrate had issued an order around one-and-a-half months ago stating that the structure was not a mosque and directing its removal.
The matter was taken to court, but the lower court did not grant a stay, Owaisi said.
Questioning the timing of the demolition, he asked why the mosque was demolished around 5 am on Saturday without waiting for the matter to be heard by higher courts.
Owaisi alleged that the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh did not want the case to reach higher courts as it knew it was "in the wrong".
He further alleged that the state government was acting unconstitutionally and claimed that several mosques had been demolished and graveyards destroyed in the region.
"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 said.
Owaisi also alleged that the administration carried out the demolition in the early hours "like thieves" and questioned what message the BJP and the Uttar Pradesh government were sending to the country and the world.
He claimed that legal principles, including Waqf by User and adverse possession, were in favour of the mosque.
Owaisi alleged that the demolition was part of a conspiracy to weaken the Constitution and said the action would not benefit the Uttar Pradesh chief minister in the elections.
He further alleged that mosques were being targeted wherever the BJP was in power and claimed that such actions weakened the Constitution.
Owaisi appealed to those managing the mosque to challenge the demolition in higher courts and said the AIMIM was ready to extend assistance to them.
(With inputs from PTI)