Babri mosque verdict 'shredded the veneer of so-called secularism of India': Foreign Office

Published November 9, 2019
Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal. — AFP/File
Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal. — AFP/File

Pakistan on Saturday expressed "deep concern" over the Indian Supreme Court's ruling in the historic Babri Masjid case, saying it had made it clear that "minorities in India are no longer safe".

While announcing its judgement on a disputed land where Hindu hard-liners demolished the 16th-century Babri mosque in 1992, India's top court earlier in the day ruled in favour of the Hindus and said that a temple will be constructed on the Ayodhya land.

"The decision has, once again, failed to uphold the demands of justice," a statement issued by the Foreign Office said, pointing out that the United Nations had recently noted that the Indian Supreme Court’s response to human rights petitions in the context of Indian-occupied Kashmir had been "slow".

Examine: What the Supreme Court's Ayodhya judgment means for the future of the Republic of India

"This decision points out that when [the court] acts, it is unable to protect the interests of India’s minorities," the press release added.

Students shout slogans in a protest against India's Supreme Court verdict about the disputed holy site awarded to Hindus, in Islamabad on Saturday. — AFP
Students shout slogans in a protest against India's Supreme Court verdict about the disputed holy site awarded to Hindus, in Islamabad on Saturday. — AFP

It said the court's unanimous decision, which is likely to have a significant impact on fraught relations between India’s Hindus and Muslims, "has shredded the veneer of so-called secularism of India by making clear that minorities in India are no longer safe; they have to fear for their beliefs and for their places of worship".

The FO expressed concern that "a process of re-writing history is underway in India in order to recast it in the image of a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ in pursuance of the Hindutva ideology", adding that the trend is also fast affecting India’s major institutions.

"The rising tide of extremist ideology in India, based on the belief of Hindu supremacy and exclusion, is a threat to regional peace and stability," the press release said.

It said the Indian government should ensure protection to Muslims, their lives, rights and properties and "avoid being yet again a silent spectator of Muslims becoming the victims of Hindu extremists and zealots".

The FO also called upon the international community, the UN and other human rights organisations to play their role by "restraining India from its pursuit of an extremist ideology" and to ensure equal rights and protection of the minorities in India.

Also on Saturday, a demonstration was organised by a students organisation in Islamabad to protest against the Indian top court's judgement. The participants held banners against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chanted slogans against the verdict.

Opinion

Editorial

Hasty transition
Updated 05 May, 2024

Hasty transition

Ostensibly, the aim is to exert greater control over social media and to gain more power to crack down on activists, dissidents and journalists.
One small step…
05 May, 2024

One small step…

THERE is some good news for the nation from the heavens above. On Friday, Pakistan managed to dispatch a lunar...
Not out of the woods
05 May, 2024

Not out of the woods

PAKISTAN’S economic vitals might be showing some signs of improvement, but the country is not yet out of danger....
Rigging claims
Updated 04 May, 2024

Rigging claims

The PTI’s allegations are not new; most elections in Pakistan have been controversial, and it is almost a given that results will be challenged by the losing side.
Gaza’s wasteland
04 May, 2024

Gaza’s wasteland

SINCE the start of hostilities on Oct 7, Israel has put in ceaseless efforts to depopulate Gaza, and make the Strip...
Housing scams
04 May, 2024

Housing scams

THE story of illegal housing schemes in Punjab is the story of greed, corruption and plunder. Major players in these...