'Never forget': India MP on mosque demolition anniv.

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - India’s most recognized Muslim politician and President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday asked people to "never forget" about the demolition of Babri Masjid.

On Dec. 6, 1992, the 16th century mosque in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh was torn down by Hindu hardliners, who claimed the site was the birthplace of their God, Lord Ram.

"Remember & teach the next generation to remember: For 400+ years our Babri Masjid stood in Ayodhya. Our ancestors prayed in its hall, broke their fasts together in its courtyard & when they died, they were buried in the adjoining graveyard. Never forget this injustice," the lawmaker from Hyderabad tweeted.

"On the night of December 22-23, 1949, our Babri Masjid was desecrated & illegally occupied for 42 years. On this date in 1992, our masjid was demolished before the whole world. The men responsible for this did not see even a day's punishment. Never forget this injustice."

Last November, the Indian Supreme Court handed over the historic site to Hindus for the construction of a temple. It said that Muslims should be given alternate piece of land to build a mosque.

While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Aug. 5 laid the foundation stone for a “grand” temple at the site, in September, a special court acquitted all the 32-surviving accused in the case, saying the demolition "was not pre-planned."

Meanwhile, Pakistan urged India to "ensure safety, security and protection" of minorities, particularly Muslims and their places of worship.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said the painful scenes of the demolition still remain fresh in the minds of not only Muslims but all conscionable persons in the world.

"Today is a sad reminder of the demolition of the historic Babri Masjid in India. On this day, 28 years ago, Hindu zealots of the RSS-inspired BJP, backed by the state apparatus, demolished the centuries-old Mosque in Ayodhya in an abominable act of anti-Muslim frenzy and blatant violation of religious and international norms," it said.

Islamabad called upon the international community, the UN and relevant international organizations to play their role in preserving the Islamic heritage sites in India from the "extremist ‘Hindutva’ regime and ensure protection of minorities in India."

*Aamir Latif contributed to this report from Karachi, Pakistan