Mosque demolitions in Rajasthan must be stopped: Owaisi appeals to Amit Shah
AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday alleged that mosques, dargahs and other Muslim religious structures were being selectively targeted for demolition in
AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday alleged that mosques, dargahs and other Muslim religious structures were being selectively targeted for demolition in Rajasthan's border districts and called upon Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene and halt the exercise. In a post on social media platform X, Owaisi claimed that a series of demolitions had taken place in the districts of Bikaner, Phalodi, Jaisalmer and Barmer, affecting several Muslim places of worship. He described the actions as "discriminatory and targeted" and urged the Centre to take immediate steps to stop them.
Read Full Story Owaisi said he had spoken to AIMIM's Bikaner district president, Shafi Jameel Qasmi, who informed him that four mosques in Bikaner and nine mosques and dargahs across Phalodi, Jaisalmer and Barmer had already been demolished. He further alleged that notices had been issued to hundreds of other religious sites in the region. 'ONLY MUSLIM PLACES OF WORSHIP ARE TARGETED' Among the structures facing action, Owaisi said, is the approximately 250-year-old dargah of Hazrat Mahmood Shah Jilani located on the Ramgarh-Tanot Bypass Road in Jaisalmer.
According to Owaisi, authorities have cited national security concerns as the basis for the demolitions. However, he questioned the justification, claiming that residents of the affected areas had no involvement in activities that could pose a threat to national security. "Only Muslim places of worship are being targeted," he alleged. The AIMIM chief also referred to allegations by authorities that some of the structures had been built on grazing land. He claimed that in cases where documents showed the structures were situated on private property, the grounds for action had reportedly shifted to the absence of necessary permissions or approvals.
Tagging Union Home Minister Amit Shah in his post, Owaisi urged the Centre to review the matter and stop what he described as illegal demolitions. There was no immediate response from the Rajasthan government or district authorities to Owaisi's allegations. The claims could not be independently verified, and officials have not yet issued a statement addressing the specific allegations raised by the AIMIM leader. Ends
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