- Advertisement -
MIRPUR ( AJK): Nov 30 (APP):The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, “ruling party” in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Saturday strongly condemned the barrage of petitions filed across India calling for surveys of mosques and Muslim shrines in the hardliner BJP-led country. says a report reaching here Saturday night from across the line of control.
In a statement released from party headquarters Nawa E Subha in occupied Srinagar, the partry’s Provincial President Kashmir, Showkat Mir expressed deep concern over the flood of petitions that have been submitted calling for surveys of mosques and Muslim Shrines. He warned that if these actions were not addressed, they could further disrupt the prevailing atmosphere across India, the report said.
“The recent petition calling for a survey at the revered shrine of Khawaja Moin Ud Din Chisti (RA) in Ajmer Sharief has deeply offended millions of individuals belonging g to the Muslim community, the largest minority community in India. regardless of their background, who hold the Shrine in high regard. Each year, millions of pilgrims from all corners of the globe, regardless of their faith or nationality, make a pilgrimage to the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty. This shrine stands as a symbol of unity and diversity. The destruction of old mosques and historic structures by certain hard-core individuals belonging to majority hindu community, a clear attempt to sow discord and division within the country,” he underlined, according to the report.
Recalling the ancient history of the subcontinent he said that development of the Dargah was not solely attributed to Muslim rulers, but also to non-Muslim kings who had made significant contributions in the region. “It is disheartening to see someone who is ignorant of Ajmer’s rich history, traditions, and coexistence, attempting to gain attention by falsely claiming that a temple lies beneath the Dargah”, the NC leader said.
“Regrettably, this unfounded assertion has been entertained by the judiciary of India. It is imperative that we stand united against such attempts to disrupt the harmony and unity. We must protect the sanctity of our sacred sites and preserve the history and traditions that have brought us together. Let us not allow baseless claims and divisive actions to undermine the religious fabric of the ancient region in the light of the history”, he emphasized, the report said.
Mir urged that the Places of Worship Act, 1991 unequivocally prohibits any alteration to the religious character of a place of worship.
He added, “Section 4 of the Act specifically dictates that the religious essence of a place of worship, as it stood on August 15, 1947, must be preserved. In the landmark case of M. Siddiq (Ram Janmabhoomi Temple) vs Suresh Das (2019), the Supreme Court of India affirmed the constitutional validity of this Act, underscoring its crucial role in safeguarding communal harmony and upholding India’s diverse heritage. “India’s apex Court has further asserted that the Act upholds the secular principles enshrined in the Constitution and serves as a bulwark against the exploitation of historical claims for political or religious purposes,” he concluded quoting the recent ruling the Indian apex court, the report said.