Islamic scholars and Muslim organizations and leaders said Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi violated the oath of office by laying the foundation stone of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
“The resources of the government and the government-media are being utilized with complete impunity. We feel that this approach is a blatant violation of the Constitution of India and the secular ethos of the nation and it will increase the polarization within society,” in a joint statement Muslim leaders said.
Signatories to the statement are: Maulana Wali Rahmani, General Secretary, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Syed Sadatullah Hussaini, President, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Maulana Tauqeer Raza, President, Muslim Ittehad Parishad, Bareilly, Navaid Hamid, President, All India Muslim Majlis Mushawarat, Dr Mufti Muhammad Mukarram, Shahi Imam, Masjid Fatehpuri, Delhi, Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan, former Chairman, Delhi Minorities Commission, Dr. Muhammad Manzoor Alam, General Secretary, All India Milli Council, Dr. Qasim Rasool Ilyas, President, Welfare Party of India, Maulana Khaleelur Rahman Sajjad Nomani, Sajjada Nashi Khanqah Nomaniya, Neral Maharashtra, Maulana Jalal Haider, President, All India Shia Council, Maulana Muhammad Salman Hussaini Nadvi, Abdus Salam, Chairman Popular Front of India, M K Faiz, President SDPI among others.
Muslim leaders in their statement said that the Indian Muslims have exhibited great restraint over Ayodhya verdict and respected the Supreme Court of India and the nation’s judicial system.
“It is unfortunate for the nation’s judicial system that the apex court gave proof and evidence in favour of the masjid but ruled in favour of the mandir. This injustice was not only felt by the justice-loving people and organizations all over the world and in our country but it was also severely criticized. We too express our disagreement with this judgment. This verdict is a festering wound for the community and the nation,” the statement reads.
The leaders have also asserted that “Babri Masjid was a mosque and will always remain a mosque”.
“We have been appealing to the conscience of the people in the past and shall Insha’Allah continue to do so in the future. We hope that the people with conscience in our country shall not condone this tendency of violating the secular ethos of our nation,” the statement said.
