Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday asserted that Hindus have every right to seek surveys of mosques, claiming that many such structures were built over demolished temples during the Mughal era.
Singh’s remarks come amidst debates sparked by a petition in Rajasthan’s Ajmer court, seeking a declaration that the Ajmer Sharif Dargah was originally a Hindu temple.
Speaking to mediapersons in the Parliament complex, Singh stated, “What is the problem in it? It's a truth that the Mughal invaders had demolished our temples… A drive to build mosques on the (ruins of) temples had been carried out by the invaders.”
He further criticised India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, for failing to address such disputes post-Independence.
“Had Nehru taken steps to end such disputes after Independence, we would not have needed to file a petition in the courts today,” Singh remarked.
On Wednesday, a court in Ajmer issued notices to the dargah committee, the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India following a petition seeking a survey of the dargah to determine its origins.
The case follows a similar court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, which reportedly resulted in violent clashes that left four people dead.
Singh described the petitions for mosque surveys as a legal right, accusing opposition parties of stoking unnecessary controversy. “Conduct of a survey is the legal right,” he said.
Singh also criticised the Samajwadi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav, who had termed such petitions a “conspiracy”.
“It is in the DNA of Ram Gopal’s party… They talk about firing at Hindus, snatching their rights. Mulayam Singh Yadav had done this when he was chief minister. They want to make Muslims happy for votes,” Singh alleged.
He also accused leaders such as Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi, and Ram Gopal Yadav of “suppressing Hindus”.
Meanwhile, the opposition has raised sharp objections to the court’s directive. CPI(M) issued a statement calling the decision “unwarranted” and “without legal standing”.
It argued that the petition violates the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which bars any legal dispute over the religious character of a site as it existed on August 15, 1947.
“The violation of this Act has already resulted in the flawed decision regarding the Sambhal mosque survey, leading to violence and deaths,” CPI(M) said.
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi also criticised the move, linking it to the BJP and the RSS.
“Where will all this stop? What will happen to the Places of Worship Act, 1991?” he asked.
Owaisi reminded that every Prime Minister, including Narendra Modi, has offered ‘chadar’ at Ajmer Sharif, underscoring the shrine’s significance as a revered Sufi site.
Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, while refraining from commenting on the subjudice matter, suggested that opposition leaders should read the Places of Worship Act carefully.
“There is no binding in it. If there is evidence, it can be reviewed,” he said, adding that the Act was brought in under “certain pressures and circumstances.”
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal expressed concern over the developments, describing them as “worrisome”. “Where is the country being taken for political dividends?” he asked.
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