Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi, in a poetic yet eloquent speech, targets the BJP-led central government over the demolition of the 700-year-old Akhunji Masjid and various other structures in Mehrauli, Delhi.
In the speech in the Rajya Sabha, Pratapgarhi said that the government has turned a deaf ear against the demolition of cultural heritage.
Imran Pratapgarhi’s speech in Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra tries to pinpoint the hypocrisy of the government when it comes to Islam and Islamic culture. He says, “On January 26, our government hosted the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and showed him the tomb of Nizamuddin Auliya, a historical site in Old Delhi. On the other hand, the same government razed numerous small graves at Mama Bhanja, Kaka Nagar and Mandi House during the wee hours. These structures have stood for centuries, and their demolition raises the question: Why were they dismantled?”
He further expressed his anguish by saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who goes to Abu Dhabi to take selfies in a mosque, cannot hear the screams of a 700-year-old Akhundzada Mosque in Mehrauli. The officers from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA)carried out the demolition of a mosque, a madrasa for children’s education, and a temple in the early hours of the morning at 5 a.m. He raises the question, “How can DDA, which was established in 1957, call centuries-old buildings encroachments and raze them?”
Moreover, he also questioned whether the DDA does not consider the Places of Worship Act of 1991. He also asked how the government would ensure that the Sunheri Masjid, an 18th-century mosque in Old Delhi, would not be razed amid the ongoing anti-encroachment drive. He said, “The Sunehri Bagh Masjid, which is a few steps away from the Parliament, is declared an encroachment by the NDMC. In such a situation, the government needs to inform the country about the action it will take against the officials responsible for encroaching upon a 700-year-old structure. Heritage should be preserved, not hated, and it should not be demolished.”
What is the matter?The DDA demolished various properties, including the mosque, the Behrul Uloom madrasa, and various graves in Mehrauli on January 30, 2024. They called these structures as illegal properties in Sanjay Van, a reserved forest area.
The Managing Committee of the Delhi Waqf Board has filed a case against the demolition in the Delhi High Court. The board claimed that the DDA illegally demolished the mosque without any prior intimidation. Moreover, the Quran was torn down and children were not allowed to take their belongings.
However, the DDA counsel has denied the allegations claiming that the Waqf Board is giving religious colours to the incident as even a temple was destroyed.
The matter is under judicial cognizance and the court has asked DDA to maintain a status quo on the land on which 700-year-old Akhunji Masjid was built.
Article is written by – Yusha Rahman
