New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh Assembly witnessed uproar on Tuesday over the vandalism of a Muslim mausoleum in Fatehpur district, with the Opposition alleging that it was a “planned” bid to stir communal tensions.
Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mata Prasad Pandey claimed a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader had announced the takeover a week earlier and said that lax security allowed a mob in. “It has become a trend across the state to demolish madrasas and Muslim mausoleums to benefit one side,” Pandey said.
The protest came after videos circulating widely on social media showed a huge crowd of right-wing activists with saffron flags defacing the Maqbara Mangi mausoleum, demanding permission to offer prayers inside the tomb and claiming the site was originally a Hindu temple.
In one of the purported videos, which ThePrint has not verified, the protestors can be seen shouting “Jai Shree Ram”, standing on graves and damaging the mausoleum. According to news reports, over 2,000 people gathered on Monday at the tomb and Eidgah premises.
Members of the Math Mandir Sanrakhan Sangharsh Samiti, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Mahasabha and other groups claim that the structure, officially registered under Khasra number 753 in government records, was a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva.
Local Muslim residents claimed the incident unfolded in full view of police. They allege the attackers faced no obstruction while local Muslims were held back.
In another video shared on X, police can be seen standing outside the premises of the mausoleum while the mob damaged the structure. ThePrint hasn’t verified the video.
“This is the tomb of Nawab Abdul Samad in Fatehpur district of UP, and everything happening here is taking place in the presence of the police administration. What more can be written about this? In the world’s largest democratic country, the nation/world is witnessing the funeral procession of democracy,” a local resident, Shahnawaz Ansari, wrote on X, along with the video.
Police have registered an FIR at the Kotwali station against 10 named and 150 unidentified persons for allegedly entering and vandalising the disputed mausoleum. The charges include rioting and trespassing on burial places. No arrests have been made yet, and raids are underway to trace the accused, according to news reports.
When ThePrint reached Fatehpur Superintendent of Police Anoop Kumar Singh, he said, “Any person who takes the law into their own hands cannot be allowed to do this. Those who try will face strict action. The government of Uttar Pradesh has filed an FIR in this case. Ten people have been named and there are 150 witnesses. Based on digital evidence, action will be taken against those whose role is established,” he said, adding that the government in Uttar Pradesh has tried to control the rebels. “We will not allow any such injustice in Uttar Pradesh.”
ThePrint also reached UP BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi. “It is a historical fact that a lot of Hindu temples have been demolished in the country and shrines, mosques have been built. This is a bitter truth,” Tripathi said, adding that the matter should be taken to court in a “constitutional manner”. He added that there is a need to hold a discussion and find a solution mutually.
“Any person who takes up the law cannot be allowed to do this. And those who try will have to face strict action. The government of Uttar Pradesh has lodged an FIR in this case as well. In this case, 10 people have been named and there are 150 witnesses. In this case, based on the digital evidence, those whose roles will be revealed, they will have to face action,” he said, adding that the UP government has tried to control the rebels. “We will not allow any such injustice in Uttar Pradesh.”
Echoes of the 1990s
The incident brought back memories of the early 1990s when the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute spurred Hindu groups to also claim the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi and the Shahi Idgah in Mathura.
In response, the P.V. Narasimha Rao government enacted the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, in September that year, freezing the status of all places of worship as they stood on 15 August 1947 (excluding Ayodhya, which was under litigation). The law aimed to preserve the religious character of such sites, block new claims and safeguard communal harmony.
Experts said the attack in Fatehpur is not an isolated incident but part of a broader wave of attacks on Muslim religious places in recent years.
Historian Swapna Liddle told ThePrint it was a way of letting Muslims know that they are not a part of the history of the country. “They want to show that Muslims never existed in our history. It’s a distortion of history for their own benefit and to attack minorities, especially Muslims,” she added.
‘At behest of political ideology’
The incident drew sharp reactions from opposition leaders.
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said in a video on X that the BJP has created an environment of “hatred” in the country, giving a free hand to anyone laying claim to any historical place related to Muslims.
“All this is happening under the watch of the state police and police is not doing anything. Had these attackers been Muslims, imagine the situation. Law is being used at the behest of political ideology and religion. This is an example of hatred against Muslims and their attempt to oppress them… It felt like 1992 was returning…” he said.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav called the incident “unfortunate” and said that the BJP has “inherited the ideology of divide and rule from the British”.
“When they have no achievements to show, they start creating hatred between Hindus and Muslims. The government should take action against those who committed such a crime in Fatehpur…,” he told the media.
In a video statement shared on his X account, Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi said that the way the mausoleum is being vandalised in Fatehpur with saffron flags in the hands of the vandalisers shows the “religious extremism”.
“This is being supported by the government and the police. There are no rules for Muslims. It was already a long struggle for Babri Masjid and now every other day mosques are being vandalised. Will the country run on extremism or does the constitution still matter?” he asked.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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