US rights group raises alarm over demolition of 3 mosques in India within 5 days
Washington: A US-based human rights organization has expressed serious concern over the demolition of three mosques in India within a span of five days, saying the incidents reflect a growing pattern of discrimination against the country’s Muslim minority.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Justice For All, a the Chicago-based advocacy organization working for human rights and religious freedom, said Indian authorities demolished three mosques in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh Rajasthan states, raising fresh concerns over the targeting of Muslim religious sites.
The statement followed the demolition of Masjid Mustafa Qadri in Sambhal, the Shaheed Azgaib Mosque in Varanasi and Noorani Mosque in Jaipur. The actions have drawn criticism from Muslim organizations and rights advocates, who argue that Islamic places of worship are being selectively targeted while similar structures linked to the Hindu majority are spared.
Justice For All noted the Shaheed Azgaib Mosque in Varanasi had existed for roughly two centuries and had functioned without complaints regarding alleged encroachment. The organization pointed out that numerous Hindu temples built on public land, roads and other government properties across India have not faced similar action, raising questions about unequal application of law.
The organization said the recent mosque demolitions should not be viewed as isolated incidents but as a part of a broader climate of anti-Muslim rhetoric, hate campaigns and increasing pressure on religious minorities in India.
Its “Save India From Fascism” campaign warned that the country is witnessing a steady erosion of religious tolerance and pluralism, with Muslims and Christians facing growing insecurity despite constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.
The demolitions come amid mounting controversy over the status of Muslim religious sites in Modi’s India, where several historic mosques have become the subject of legal and political disputes promoted by Hindutva groups. Observers say such campaigns have intensified under governments led by the BJP.
Human rights organizations and opposition leaders have repeatedly maintained that Hindu supremacist groups are using allegations of encroachment, illegal construction and historical claims as tools to challenge and undermined Muslim places of worship and institutions across the country.
