Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has appealed to the Muslim youths to be watchful of the activities done by the Centre and said that mosques across the country should remain inhabited, prompting sharp reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Days before the consecration of the Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya on January 22, Asaduddin Owaisi, with reference to Babri Masjid, said the place where the holy Quran was recited for the past 500 years is not in their hands anymore, news agency ANI reported.

“Young people, I am telling you, we have lost our masjid and you are seeing what is being done there. Don’t you have pain in your hearts ?,” ANI quoted Owaisi as saying at a programme in Bhavani Nagar on Monday.

“The place where we sat and recited the Quran for 500 years is not in our hands today. Young people, don’t you see that a conspiracy is taking place regarding three- four more mosques, in which the Sunheri Masjid (Golden Mosque) of Delhi is also included? After years of hard work, we have achieved our position today. You have to pay attention to these things,” Owaisi added.

The AIMIM chief also said that young Muslims have to remain alert and united. “Maintain your support and strength. Keep your mosques populated. It may happen that these masjids are taken away from us. I hope the young man of today who will be the old man of tomorrow will keep his eyes ahead and think hard about how he can help himself, his family, his city, and his neighbourhood. Unity is a strength, unity is a blessing,” Owaisi was quoted as saying.

BJP slams Owaisi

Reacting to Owaisi’s statement, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya the Hyderabad MP was doing what he does best – “communalising the consecration of Ram Mandir”.

“In 2020, two Mosques in Hyderabad, Masjid-e-Mohammadi and Masjid-e-Hashmi were demolished to build the Secretariat but Owaisi, who is Member of Parliament from the city, didn’t utter a word,” Malviya said, questioning why did not he remember the mosques then.

Consecration ceremony of Ayodhya’s Ram temple

The consecration ceremony of Ayodhya’s Ram mandir will be held over seven days, begining on January 16. On the final day, January 22, after the morning puja, the deity of Ram Lala will be consecrated in ‘Mrigashira Nakshatra’ in the afternoon.

The foundation stone of the Ram temple was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 5, 2020.

In 2019, the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Ayodhya dispute paved the way for the construction of a grand Ram temple. Following the court’s verdict, the Centre set up Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Tirtha Kshetra Trust to take decisions regarding the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

(With inputs from ANI)