ISLAMABAD: Pakistan today (Sunday) termed the new illegitimate structure at Babri Masjid, which the Hindutva-driven BJP has campaigned for, a scar on the face of the so-called “largest democracy” in the world.
In a statement on the eve of 28th anniversary of the demolition of the historic Babri Masjid, Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said, “The painful scenes of the demolition of Babri mosque in 1992 still remain fresh in the minds of conscionable persons in the world.”
“On this day, 28 years ago, Hindu zealots of the RSS-inspired BJP, backed by the state apparatus, demolished the centuries-old Mosque in Ayodhya in an abominable act of anti-Muslim frenzy and blatant violation of religious and international norms,” it added.
The FO spokesperson said that the recent shameful acquittal of the criminals responsible for demolishing the historic Babri Masjid in 1992 represented another egregious travesty of justice.
“The extreme haste in starting construction of a temple at the Babri Mosque site amidst the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic, anti-Muslim citizenship amendment act (CAA), the targeted killings of Muslims in Delhi, and other anti-Muslim measures point to the fact how Muslims in India are being systematically demonized, dispossessed, marginalized and subjected to targeted violence,” read the statement.
The statement further said that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has passed numerous resolutions, condemning the odious act of demolishing the historic mosque.
Recently, the OIC called upon the Indian government to take immediate steps to implement its commitment to reconstruct the Babri mosque on its original site and to punish those responsible for its demolition.
The spokesman added that in line with that spirit, Pakistan once again urges the Indian government to ensure the safety, security, and protection of minorities, particularly Muslims and their places of worship, and fulfill its responsibilities under the universal declaration of human rights.
“We also call upon the international community, the United Nations and relevant international organizations to play their role in preserving the Islamic heritage sites in India from the extremist ‘Hindutva’ regime and ensure the protection of minorities in India,” he concluded.