Hindutva students protest for mosque removal at Uttar Pradesh college
Varanasi (UP): In a troubling display of growing religious bias in Modi’s India, Hindutva students at a college in Uttar Pradesh staged a protest demanding the removal of a mosque from the campus.
According to Kashmir Media Service, hundreds of students gathered outside the gate of Uday Pratap College in Varanasi, chanting “Jai Shri Ram” and waving saffron flags. The protesters attempted to force their way onto the campus, but their march was stopped by police.
Student leader Vivekanand Singh vocally demanded action, saying, “If the land on which the mosque stands does not belong to the Waqf Board, the structure should be removed.” Singh escalated his rhetoric by threatening to counter the mosque’s use for prayers (namaz) with the recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa, a Hindu devotional hymn, if such practices continued.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Cantonment, Vidush Saxena, confirmed the protest, acknowledging that although the situation became aggressive, police were able to manage the crowd.
The rhetoric and actions of Singh and the students reflect a broader trend in which Muslim institutions, places of worship, and cultural symbols are increasingly being targeted in India. Under the leadership of the BJP-led Modi government, religious minorities, particularly Muslims, are facing growing marginalization. The protest highlights how Hindu nationalist sentiments are often emboldened by the government’s stance, leading to a climate where Muslim spaces are no longer safe from such aggressive campaigns.
