Owaisi slams BJP, RSS for spreading hatred, targeting religious sites in India
Hyderabad: Asaduddin Owaisi, the president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), has sharply criticized the BJP and RSS over controversial claims made by Hindu extremists regarding the historic Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a Twitter post, Owaisi emphasized that the Ajmer Sharif Dargah has been a prominent religious site for over 800 years, dating back to the Mughal period when Emperor Akbar built several structures at the site. He pointed out that after the Mughal Empire, the Maratha rulers took control of the area, and during British rule, the Dargah was purchased for 18,000 rupees. Owaisi also noted that Queen Elizabeth had a water house built there during her visit in 1911, and that since the time of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indian Prime Ministers, including Narendra Modi, have sent offerings to the Dargah.
Owaisi raised a critical question: Why is the BJP and RSS spreading hatred in the country regarding mosques and dargahs? He also cast doubt on the neutrality of India’s judicial system, stating that laws protecting places of worship are being disregarded. The AIMIM leader said that the Modi government was systematically weakening the social fabric of India and eroding the principles of communal harmony and the rule of law.
Owaisi warned that if the Hindu extremist narrative gains ground—claiming that mosques or dargahs were once temples—then, in turn, Muslims might begin asserting that mosques once stood where temples are now located. He further said that mosques and dargahs were being targeted at the behest of the BJP and RSS, stoking division and animosity in the country.
Referring to recent communal violence in Sambhal district, Uttar Pradesh, Owaisi condemned the police brutality that resulted in the martyrdom of four Muslim youth, calling it an example of the ongoing state-sanctioned violence against Muslims under the BJP government. He stated that the BJP and RSS are actively dividing the country on the basis of hate, thus undermining India’s secular and pluralistic foundations.
This comes amid growing concerns over the actions of Hindu extremist groups. The Hindu Sena, a far-right group, recently filed a petition in a local court, claiming that the Ajmer Sharif Dargah was built on the site of a Hindu temple. The court has accepted the petition and is set to hear the case, raising fears that this could further inflame tensions over religious sites in India.
