'Blot on Face of India': Pakistan slams Ram Temple Consecration
The Ram Temple in Ayodhya, which was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, is built on the land where the 16th-century Babri Mosque once stood. The mosque's destruction sparked riots that killed 2,000 people, mostly Muslims.
The temple fulfills a long-standing promise by Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has made the temple a core part of its political agenda. Hindus believe that the site is the birthplace of Lord Ram, a revered deity in Hinduism.
In 2019, India's Supreme Court ruled that the land belonged to Hindus and gave Muslims a separate plot to build a new mosque. However, the construction of the mosque has not started yet.
Pakistan's foreign office said in a statement that the temple's consecration was "a blot on the face of India's democracy for the times to come," Arab News reported on Monday.
It also warned that other mosques in India were facing similar threats of desecration and destruction. “Notably, there is a growing list of mosques, including the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and the Shahi Eidgah Mosque in Mathura, facing a similar threat of desecration and destruction.”
The statement urged the international community to take notice of the "growing Islamophobia, hate speech and hate crimes" in India, which it said were part of the "ongoing efforts for social, economic and political marginalization of the Indian Muslims".
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The temple's opening was attended by about 8,000 people, including politicians, industrialists and religious leaders. More than 10,000 police personnel were deployed to secure the city of 3 million. Security was also tightened across the country, especially in areas with a history of Hindu-Muslim violence.
The temple, which covers nearly 3 hectares (7.4 acres), will be open to the public from Tuesday. The temple's management expects 100,000 visitors each day for the next few months.
Source: Agencies
