Pakistan terms Ram Temple ceremony indicative of 'growing majoritarianism in India'

Pakistan on Monday condemned the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led consecration ceremony of the "Ram Temple" on the site of the destroyed Barbri mosque.

In a statement, the Foreign Office (FO), said that today's consecration ceremony "is indicative of growing majoritarianism in India".

The FO statement refers to Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) which, for decades, has called for the establishment of a temple in place of the 16th-century structure claiming that the Mughals had built the mosque on the birthplace of Hindu god-king "Ram".

The site, for years, had been a point of contention between India's Muslims and extremist Hindus and eventually became a flashpoint in 1992 which saw countrywide riots, triggered after a Hindu mob destroyed the mosque, resulting in the deaths of a large number of Muslims.

India's Muslims had moved the country's Supreme Court, which, in its 2019 decision, ruled that the disputed Babri mosque land should be given to the Hindus while ordering the Muslims to be allotted an alternate land as a replacement for the destroyed Babri Mosque.

The top court's decision paved the way for Modi who then announced the construction of the Ram Temple.

Lamenting that India's superior judiciary not only acquitted the criminals responsible for the mosque's demolition but also allowed the construction of a temple on the site of the demolished mosque, the FO lamented today's development as an important facet of the ongoing efforts for social, economic and political marginalisation of the Indian Muslims.

"A temple built on the site of a demolished mosque will remain a blot on the face of India’s democracy for the times to come," the FO said, adding that several other mosques, including Varanasi's Gyanvapi Mosque and Mathura's Shahi Eidgag Mosque, facing the threat of desecration and destruction.

Raising alarm bells over the growing "Hindutva" ideology threatening religious harmony and regional peace, the statement also recalled remarks made by chief ministers of India's Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh who have termed the inauguration of the Ram Temple as "the first step towards reclaiming parts of Pakistan."

Calling on New Delhi to ensure the safety and security of religious minorities, including Muslims and their holy places, Islamabad has urged the international community to take cognisance of the growing Islamophobia, hate speech, and hate crimes in India.

Pakistan has also urged the UN and other organisations to play their part in saving the Islamic heritage sites in India from extremist groups and ensuring the protection of the religious and cultural rights of minorities in India.