Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh: “People of India are being pushed into fights over history where none existed,” says Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi amid unrest over Hindutva group’s back-to-back claims over several mosques in the country. As tension continues to prevail over violence in Sambhal following a court ordered survey, another masjid, Atala mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur, has moved the Allahabad High Court against a local court’s order that accepted the registration of a suit that claimed the masjid was originally an ancient temple.

The suit filed by the Swaraj Vahini Association (SVA) had claimed that the Majid was originally ‘Atala Devi mandir,’ demanding the 14th-century structure be declared as a temple. It also sought the right to worship at the site of the Masjid.

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Reacting to the latest Hindutva group’s claim on the Muslim structure, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Owaisi reminded that the people of India are being pushed into fights over history where none existed. The MP underscored that no nation can become a superpower if 14% of its population faces such constant pressures. He was referring to the prevalent situation of the country, where violence over religious identities has been becoming more obvious.

Fingering the BJP, the Hyderabad MP said that behind every “Vahini,” “Parishad,” “Sena,” etc., there is the invisible hand of the ruling party. He was referring to the petitioner, Swaraj Vahini Association over the Masjid. “They have a duty to defend the Places of Worship Act & put an end to these false disputes,” Owaisi wrote on his social media platform X.

The people of India are being pushed into fights over history where none existed. No nation can become a superpower if 14% of its population faces such constant pressures.

Behind every “Vahini” “Parishad” “Sena” etc, there is the invisible hand of the ruling party. They have a… https://t.co/KOR2XG4MjA

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) December 7, 2024

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The construction of Ram Mandhir after the long dispute over Babari Masjid in Ayodhya by demolishing the Mosque had given significant political boost to the saffron party, in its attempt to widen the party influence across the country. The opposition had alleged that the ruling BJP is playing religions card and fueling peoples’ sentiments even in the recent Sambhal violence, which led to the killing of four Muslim youths.

The latest claim on Atala Majid by the Hindutva group has sought a mandatory injunction to restrain non-Hindus from entering the Masjid property. However, challenging the petitions and lower court orders, the Masjid’s petition has argued that the Hindu side’s suit is fundamentally flawed, as the plaintiff, a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, is not a juristic person and therefore lacks the legal standing to file the suit in a representative capacity.

The Masjid’s petition argued that the property has always been a mosque and has never been under the possession or ownership of followers of any other religion, and the property has been continuously used as a mosque since its construction in 1398, with the Muslim community regularly offering prayers, including Juma prayers, at the Masjid.

It further questioned the claim by plaintiffs that they represent the Hindus of Purvanchal as vague, noting it cannot be ascertained with certainty since the term ‘Purvanchal’ is not defined. It pointed out that plaintiffs have carried out mischief, which is further amplified by the fact that even the Waqf Board was not made party to the suit. “The trial court facilitated this mischief by simply proceeding in a mechanical manner without looking to the sensitive nature of the suit,” said the petitioner. It sought dismissal of the suit on several grounds.