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Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani on Saturday said the community was seeking equal justice, not special concession while expressing deep anguish over the demolition of an old mosque at the Saharanpur Collectorate.
He questioned the alleged double standards in the implementation of law and said that constitutional protections and legal provisions must be applied equally to all citizens and religious communities. Madani said the demolition of the mosque at around 5 am was extremely regrettable and raised concerns over the alleged double standards in the implementation of the law. He said the incident was not merely about a religious structure but involved broader issues of constitutional supremacy, rule of law, religious freedom, equality and the impartiality of the administration. Referring to the Places of Worship Act, 1991, Madani claimed that the law remains in force and alleged that the action by the administration violated its provisions. He also claimed that the mosque was registered with the Waqf Board under Registration No. 451 and referred to provisions concerning Waqf by User under the new Waqf law. Madani further claimed that land records had historically carried the names of Yaqub Khan and Wahid Khan, and questioned the basis on which the action was taken. If illegal occupation and encroachment are to be the sole criteria for taking action, then the same criteria must be applied equally to every religion and every section of society, he said. He alleged that a particular community was being selectively targeted under the pretext of encroachment and questioned whether similar action was being taken with the same urgency and severity against religious structures situated on government land, roads and public places across the country. Madani said disputes relating to ownership of religious sites or land could be resolved through courts, while historical records and long-standing religious use should also be considered within the framework of law. He claimed that the mosque committee had submitted historical documents before the court, including records purportedly dating back to 1911, municipal documents and old revenue entries, and alleged that these were ignored. This country does not belong to any one religion or any particular community. India is the shared homeland of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and people of all religions and beliefs. The Constitution has not made anyone a first-class citizen and anyone else a second-class citizen, Madani said. He said the community was not seeking any special concession but equal justice, and urged that the same legal standards be applied to all religious places and citizens irrespective of their faith. If the Constitution and the law are meant for everyone, then their protection and enforcement must also be equal for all, he said. (ANI)
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