AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): In a statement, Maulana Rahmani said that a large number of Muslims in Ujjain, including women observing purdah, stood firmly before the administration and police and strongly protested against what he described as an attempt to completely demolish the mosque. He said the peaceful and democratic protest largely prevented the mosque from being completely demolished.
According to information cited by Maulana Rahmani, some government officials and people supporting the government allegedly pressured the mosque’s management committee to agree to voluntarily demolish around three feet of the mosque. They were reportedly told that if this portion was not removed voluntarily, it would not be possible to save the entire mosque from demolition. However, Muslims present at the site strongly opposed the proposal and staged a protest.
Maulana Rahmani said police used force to disperse the protesters, including baton charging and tear gas. According to the information he cited, FIRs were registered against several people, while several young people were also taken into custody.
He said that the mosque could have been protected from demolition if the government and administration had wanted to do so. Referring to an earlier incident in Ujjain, he said the Muslim settlement of Nizamuddin had been cleared in the name of the Mahakal Corridor and that the Takia Mosque located there was demolished, while the adjoining Ganesh Colony was not affected. He said these developments raise serious questions about the administration’s approach.
Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani said it was becoming a concerning trend that established mosques and madrasas in BJP-ruled states were allegedly being targeted on grounds such as road expansion or other stated reasons. He expressed concern that, in such cases, due consideration was allegedly not being given to the spirit and provisions of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, or the legal status of Waqf properties.
He said the All India Muslim Personal Law Board viewed with respect the determination, courage and peaceful struggle of Muslims in Ujjain, particularly young people and women observing purdah. He added that, had those supporting the government and administration not intervened, it was possible that no part of the mosque would have been demolished.
Maulana Rahmani appealed to Muslims to respond to such situations through peaceful, democratic, constitutional and legal means rather than emotional reactions. He urged them to make full use of all avenues available under the Constitution and law to protect their rights.
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