Owaisi Slams BJP Over Mosque Demolition, Calls It Attack on Religious Freedom

On Sunday, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi took to the podium and didn’t mince words. He accused the ruling BJP of “harbouring hatred” for the very freedom of religion that the Indian Constitution guarantees, pointing to the recent demolition of a mosque in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

According to Owaisi, the mosque’s story is more than a simple land‑dispute. He recalled that a local Muslim family had donated the parcel of land decades ago, not only for the mosque but also for a nearby temple, a rare gesture of communal harmony. The structure was later registered as a waqf property, which under Indian law enjoys special protection.

Owaisi then turned his criticism toward the Modi government’s recent amendment to the Waqf Act. “The amendment is unconstitutional, flawed and downright objectionable,” he said, adding that it undermines the sanctity of waqf institutions across the country.

He also invoked the legal principle of adverse possession, noting that “if a structure stands on government land for thirty years, the occupier can claim rights over it.” In his view, the BJP’s push to wipe out the mosque betrays a broader pattern – from Jaipur to Saharanpur – of targeting Muslim places of worship.

The demolition itself, however, was not a unilateral act of the party. Officials said it followed a court order. On September 4, a district judge dismissed an appeal filed by the mosque’s committee and upheld an earlier magistrate’s directive dated July 17, which ordered the building’s removal and levied compensation of about ₹6.41 crore for alleged encroachment on government land.

Senior police officer DIG Abhishek Singh of Saharanpur confirmed that the demolition was carried out “in accordance with legal procedures.” He mentioned that additional PAC and RAF personnel were deployed to prevent any untoward incidents and that social‑media channels were being monitored to curb rumors.

While the legal narrative is clear, Owaisi’s remarks highlight a deeper, more emotive clash. For him, the episode is less about paperwork and more about the erosion of a constitutional promise – a promise that, in his words, the BJP seems intent on ignoring.