Leader salutes those who razed Babri Mosque: Radicalism, fanaticism on the rise under BJP regime

ISLAMABAD: Twenty-nine years after the demolition of the Babri Mosque in India on December 6, 1992, the radicalism of the Bharatiya Janta Party is still alive as one of its leaders has stated that those who razed the mosque should be saluted.

Uma Bharti, a BJP leader and a former Union Minister, who played a key role in the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement, said: “I salute those who brought down Babri Masjid. When I remember this day, I recall it as one of the proudest moments of my life.”

The BJP leader said she would always rejoice in the moments when she witnessed the collapse of Babri Masjid in front of her eyes. “I don’t know who demolished that structure but I salute those people. It was a wonderful and unique moment for me. It was only after the demolition of the structure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Ram temple. So those who demolished this structure deserve a salute.”

On December 6, 1992, a charged Hindu mob demolished the 16th century Babri Mosque in Ayodhya on the pretext that it was built at the birthplace of Hindu god Ram. The unfortunate incident was a result of a sustained campaign by far-right Vishwa Hindu Parishad backed by many present leaders of BJP.

Instead of delivering justice, the Indian Supreme Court ruled in favour of extremist Hindus and handed over the mosque site to Hindus for temple construction. The demolition of the mosque and the jubilation of the mobs created a permanent fissure in India’s social fabric and instilled fear among Indian Muslims.

In short, minorities in India are not safe; they are under constant fear for their beliefs and the places where they worship. The Babri Mosque was constructed in Ayodhya, a city situated in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, by Mughal Emperor Babur’s general Mir Baqi in 1528.

The extremist Hindus claimed that it was built on the foundations of what they considered to be the birthplace of Lord Ram (Ram Janmabhoomi). In December 1949, idols of Lord Ram were placed by Hindu Karseveks and mysteriously appeared from inside the mosque. This led to widespread protests and demand for the construction of Ram Temple at the place of Babri Mosque.

In November 1989, Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi allowed the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to conduct a ceremony, called the Shilanyas (consecration), at the site of Babri Mosque in a move to appease far-right Hindus.

On December 6, 1992, emboldened by BJP rule in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, a charged Hindu extremist mob, chanting Jai Shri Ram, attacked Babri Mosque and reduced it to rubble. The unfortunate incident led to the instigation of communal riots between Hindus and Muslims across India which culminated in the killing of an estimated 2000 people, mainly Muslims.

On November 9, 2019, the Indian Supreme Court made a highly controversial decision by awarding Hindus control of a disputed religious site in the town of Ayodhya for the construction of a temple. The Court ruled that Muslims will be given five acres of land as an alternative site in Ayodhya. The verdict is seemed to be an ultimate victory of Hindutva ideology in India where justice depends on which religion one belongs to.

On August 5, 2020, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the construction of a Hindu temple at the place of Babri Mosque. The move was highly appreciated by Hindu supremacists and media zealots which makes the base of the ruling BJP government.

The experts say that the demolition of the Babri mosque is a clear reflection of the Hindutva agenda, which remains its core identity today. They urged the world community to take notice of the rising menace of religious intolerance in Hindutva.