Masjid demolition– Modi regime condemned for selective targeting of Muslims
Jammu: Condemnation poured in after the Modi regime’s attempt to demolish a mosque in Kathua district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, with political parties and local residents accusing the government of selectively targeting Muslims.
According to Kashmir Media Service, political parties, including the National Conference and J&K Apni Party, condemned the police action and urged the Lieutenant Governor to order a thorough investigation into the incident. They also warned the administration against targeting any religious or community group, citing the principles of India’s secular nation.
Syed Chaudhary, President of Dodhi Gujjar Association, Jammu and Kashmir, said that the regime didn’t give any notice to the locals prior to the demolition.
On Saturday, June 29, government officials accompanied by police personnel and bulldozers arrived at the Nagri locality to raze the mosque. Locals said that the mosque was built ten years ago and was recently renovated, and that the administration did not provide any notice prior to the demolition attempt.
The attempt sparked violent clashes between the residents and the demolition squad, resulting in injuries to six police officials, including a deputy superintendent of police. Locals said that forces personnel entered the mosque wearing shoes, causing desecration, and that the administration’s actions were a blatant attack on the Muslim community.
APHC-AJK leader, Zahid Ashraf, in a statement issued in Islamabad also condemned the Modi government’s Islamophobic acts in IIOJK and India, stating that BJP and other Hindutva parties are targeting Muslims for political gain. He urged Pakistan to highlight the dire situation in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir to the international community.