Mohammad Alamullah | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — In a collective response to the Varanasi District Court’s decision allowing Hindu worshippers to perform pooja (prayers) in the basement of Gyanvapi Masjid, prominent Muslim organisations, including Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), have voiced their concerns and announced their intention to challenge the ruling.
Expressing alarm over what it called a “misleading campaign,” Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on Thursday cautioned against the biased media and evil elements. Jamaat’s Deputy Amir, Malik Mutasim Khan, emphasised the importance of conclusive evidence and called for adherence to the Places of Worship Act 1991. The organisation urged the public to refrain from expressing opinions that could disrupt communal harmony, stressing the need to maintain the secular and democratic fabric of the country.
AIMPLB spokesperson Dr. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas expressed deep concern over the court’s decision, terming it “unacceptable for Muslims.” Dr. Ilyas criticised the court’s ruling as based on a “very wrong and baseless argument” and declared the board’s intention to challenge it in the Allahabad High Court. The AIMPLB emphasised its commitment to upholding objections and contesting the decision legally.
AIMIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi condemned the decision and said the court’s ruling was a violation of the sanctity of the mosque. Owaisi expressed disappointment with the ruling and called it a blow to the religious freedom of Muslims. He affirmed the AIMIM’s solidarity with the Muslim community in challenging the decision and seeking justice through legal avenues.
The three organisations unitedly expressed their concern over the decision’s impact on religious harmony and emphasised the need for adherence to the principles of truth and justice.