Saharanpur, September 6 (Daily Kiran) : Sangeet Som, a prominent leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), recently commented on the controversial demolition of a mosque in Saharanpur. He stated that the action was taken in accordance with a court order against illegal structures built on government land. Som emphasized that no illegal construction would be spared.
In an interview, he remarked, “That was not a mosque; it was an illegal building. All such structures will be demolished. This action was taken as per the court’s orders, and we will continue to comply with the law.” He noted that a 400-year-old well had been encroached upon within the structure.
Som criticized previous governments led by Akhilesh Yadav and Congress, suggesting they allowed such illegal constructions to proliferate. “Under their rule, people were given the freedom to construct buildings in the name of mosques wherever government land was available,” he said. He vowed that new illegal structures would not be permitted to arise, stating, “It took a long time to address the ruins from 500 years ago, and we cannot allow new ruins to emerge.”
He accused certain political figures of exploiting Muslims for their own gain. “They want to use Muslims to further their political agendas. My consistent stance is that Akhilesh, Owaisi, and Rahul Gandhi are the three who have ruined Muslims. They are conspiring to incite riots in Uttar Pradesh and undermine the law and the Constitution,” he added.
Som further claimed that Akhilesh Yadav is intent on reigniting tensions from the 2013 riots, during which he alleged that thousands lost their lives. He asserted that under BJP governance, riots would not be tolerated.
Responding to Yadav’s remarks about the BJP’s policies, Som stated, “These individuals have deceived the public. The people have now realized this and are determined to keep Akhilesh Yadav out of power in Uttar Pradesh.”
In reaction to comments made by Samajwadi Party MP Ikra Hasan regarding Hindu-Muslim relations, Som warned, “If Akhilesh Yadav plans to incite riots by sending his people, he should understand that any attempts to create riots will be dealt with severely. Uttar Pradesh is on the path to becoming a model state, and they cannot stop this progress.”
On the other hand, Congress leader Rashid Alvi criticized the district judge’s decision to declare the mosque illegal. He pointed out that the Parliament had previously passed the Places of Worship Act, which remains ambiguous in its interpretation. “How can a district judge declare a structure illegal? Where will people find documents for buildings that are over 100 years old?” he questioned. Alvi expressed concern that demolishing mosques would not earn the BJP goodwill among Muslims and labeled the decision as one-sided.
He concluded, “It is very unfortunate. Yogi Adityanath seems to believe that by demolishing mosques, he can secure a return to power. The BJP often speaks of appeasement, yet this is the ultimate form of it. If temples were demolished in Pakistan or Bangladesh, we would raise our voices against it. But has the government ever considered the pain it causes to Muslims in India when mosques are destroyed?”
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