Owaisi alleges part of old Delhi mosque razed during demolition drive
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New Delhi: A portion of a mosque’s Waqf-owned property in Old Delhi was allegedly demolished during an anti-encroachment drive, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi claimed on Wednesday, blaming what he termed the “black” Waqf (Amendment) Act for the action.
The demolition drive near the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque, located opposite Turkman Gate in the Ramlila Maidan area, was carried out on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. The operation triggered violence after social media posts alleged that the mosque was being demolished, prompting several people to hurl stones at police personnel. Five police personnel were injured in the stone-pelting, following which the police resorted to lobbing tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
Addressing a rally ahead of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar civic polls, Owaisi alleged that the demolition took place around 1.30 a.m. and involved a property that was notified as Waqf land in a gazette notification issued in 1970. He claimed the drive marked the beginning of actions following the passage of the Waqf Act in Parliament and urged people to understand the developments taking place in the country and respond strongly through their votes against the ruling parties.
Owaisi further alleged that the Delhi High Court had passed an incorrect order in the matter despite the existence of the 1970 gazette notification declaring the land as Waqf property. He said the High Court had no authority to decide the title of the mosque and criticised the Delhi Waqf Board for failing to take appropriate legal steps, including not filing a review petition. He added that the issue would now be taken to the Supreme Court.
Describing the Waqf Act as a “black law”, Owaisi alleged it was being used to seize Muslim religious properties. He claimed the law was enacted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the support of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. According to him, the legislation was being used to target mosques and graveyards, warning that what happened in Delhi was only the beginning.
He appealed to voters in Maharashtra to oppose Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar in the upcoming local body elections, urging people to vote against those responsible for the Act and support AIMIM if they wished to protect religious places.
Speaking on constitutional values, Owaisi said the Preamble of the Constitution begins with the words “We, the people” and not “Bharat Mata”. Referring to the celebration of 150 years of Vande Mataram in Parliament, he said there was no discussion on Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s emphasis on freedom of thought, faith, expression and religion. He stated that Ambedkar had written that the country belongs to everyone, but no one spoke up to reiterate that principle.
Owaisi also said the Constitution permits Muslims to worship Allah and claimed that while no Muslim Member of Parliament raised this point, he did so in Parliament. He said he had stated that Muslims would say only “La ilaha illallah” and alleged that while others bowed their heads, he did not compromise on the fundamentals of his religion or the Constitution.
Maharashtra AIMIM president Imtiaz Jaleel, who also addressed the rally, said the party had lost the previous Lok Sabha elections due to internal divisions and claimed the same group was active again during the municipal elections. He said the party was now fighting on two fronts — against political opponents and against people from within its own ranks.
Referring to a recent attack on his car, Jaleel said AIMIM would not be intimidated and alleged that those involved in illegal businesses believed they could scare the party. He said the rally was completed despite the incident and demanded police action, adding that AIMIM was closely monitoring the case and would not be afraid of those engaged in illegal activities.
Commenting on the incident, Owaisi demanded strict action against those involved and said he would visit the area in the coming days. He asserted that he was not afraid and would continue to go wherever people challenged him.
With PTI inputs