New Delhi, Sep 5 (IANS) Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind President Maulana Syed Arshad Madani said on Saturday that bulldozers being used for demolition of illegal properties are increasingly becoming “less a symbol of justice and more an instrument of the politics of revenge, prejudice, and hatred”.
His reaction comes after the administration demolished a mosque located within the Collectorate complex in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur after the Muslim side’s appeal was rejected by the court.
Taking to his official X account, the Muslim cleric called the demolition, “extremely regrettable”.
He questioned the “double standard” in the implementation of the laws prescribed by the Constitution, that is otherwise equal for all citizens.
“Today, bulldozers are increasingly becoming less a symbol of justice and more an instrument of the politics of revenge, prejudice, and hatred. This is not merely a matter concerning a mosque; it raises fundamental questions about the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law, religious freedom, equality of citizens, and the impartial role of the state,” Arshad Madani said.
Referring to the existing Places of Worship Act, 1991, he added that the new Waqf law also contains a provision relating to “Waqf by User”.
He noted that the said mosque is registered with the Waqf Board under Registration No. 451, while old land records also contain the names of Yaqub Khan and Wahid Khan.
“The mosque committee had presented documents dating back to 1911, municipal records, and old revenue entries before the court, maintaining that the mosque predates the present Collectorate building. Ignoring such historical and legal evidence and proceeding with demolition raises serious questions about the requirements of justice,” he said.
Arshad Madani added that if illegal occupation or encroachment is the criterion for taking action, “then the same standard must be applied equally to every religion and every section of society”.
He asked whether the administration also takes action against other religious structures that have stood for decades on government land, roads, and public places “with the same haste, severity, and standard” in other parts of the country?
“If not, then the extraordinary harshness shown against one particular religious site appears contrary to the principle of equal justice,” Arshad Madani asserted.
Maintaining that the Constitution has not made anyone a “first-class citizen” and anyone else a “second-class citizen”, the Muslim cleric said: “We are not seeking any special concession; we are only asking for equal justice. Our question is straightforward: if the law applicable to a mosque is the same, why should it not be applicable to every religious place? If one standard is applied to a Muslim, why should the same standard not be applied to every other citizen?”
Moreover, Arshad Madani underlined that if the Constitution and the law are meant for everyone, then their protection and enforcement must also be equal for all.
–IANS
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