Pakistan has condemned the opening of a temple on the site of the razed Babri Mosque in the Indian city of Ayodhya, the Foreign Office said on Monday.
“Developments of the last 31 years, leading to today’s consecration ceremony, are indicative of growing majoritarianism in India,” it said in a statement. “These constitute an important facet of the ongoing efforts for social, economic and political marginalization of the Indian Muslims.”
Earlier in the day, Indian Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the temple as he delivered on a decades-old promise made by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The centuries-old mosque was demolished on December 6, 1992, by a mob of extremists, sparking riots in which nearly 2,000 people died. In 2019, India’s superior judiciary allowed the construction of a temple on the site of the demolished mosque. Muslims were given a plot outside the city for a mosque but have yet to build one.
The movement to build the temple helped propel the BJP into political prominence in the 1990s.
“A temple built on the site of a demolished mosque will remain a blot on the face of India’s democracy for the times to come,” the FO said, “notably, there is a growing list of mosques, including the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and Shahi Eidgah Mosque in Mathura, facing similar threat of desecration and destruction.”
The statement added that the rising tide of ‘Hindutva’ ideology in India “poses a serious threat” to religious harmony and regional peace. The chief ministers of two major Indian states, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, were on record as citing the Babri mosque’s demolition or inauguration of the temple as the first step towards reclaiming parts of Pakistan, it added.
The FO urged the international community to take cognisance of the growing Islamophobia, hate speech and hate crimes in India. “The United Nations and other relevant international organizations should play their part in saving the Islamic heritage sites in India from extremist groups and ensuring the protection of the religious and cultural rights of the minorities in India.”
Pakistan urged the Indian government to ensure the safety and security of religious minorities, including Muslims and their holy places.
