India’s fragile communal harmony is increasingly under strain as Muslim religious sites face targeted attacks, both through legal challenges and societal provocations. From demands to survey historic mosques like Delhi’s Jama Masjid based on tenuous claims, to inflammatory acts such as students reciting Hanuman Chalisa near a mosque in Varanasi, a pattern of using religious spaces to stoke tensions is emerging. These incidents, often cloaked in calls for justice or cultural assertion, risk deepening societal divisions and reveal a worrying trend of communal confrontation, threatening the country’s foundational ethos of pluralism and coexistence.
Hindu group demands survey of Jama Masjid, Delhi
The Hindu Sena’s national president, Vishnu Gupta, has written to the director general of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), demanding an investigation into the origins of Delhi’s Jama Masjid. Gupta alleges that the iconic mosque, commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and completed in 1656, was constructed on the ruins of Hindu temples from Jodhpur and Udaipur, which were supposedly destroyed by Aurangzeb. He further claims that idols of Hindu deities were incorporated into the mosque’s structure, with some intentionally buried under the stairs to disrespect Hindu religious sentiments. Calling for a detailed survey, Gupta insists that the mosque’s “true history” must be unearthed and any remnants of the alleged temples preserved and publicly disclosed.
In his letter, Gupta wrote that “alleged Jama Masjid, Delhi was constructed after demolition of hundreds of temples of Jodhpur and Udaipur, and using the remains of those temples including the idols of deity in the stairs of said mosque to humiliate the Hindus by Mughal invader Aurangzeb.”
Vishnu Gupta called for the preservation of any remains found during the survey and insisted that these findings be made public to reveal the true history of the mosque, and stated that “your office is requested to survey the Jama Masjid, Delhi so that the idols of our deities can b preserved and concrete steps can be taken to install them in the temple and the truth about Aurangzeb can be revealed to the world.”
The ASI has not commented on the matter so far.
Jama Masjid, also known as Masjid-i Jehan-Numa, is among the largest and most celebrated mosques in India, renowned for its architectural grandeur. Constructed with red sandstone and white marble, it can host 25,000 worshippers in its vast courtyard and remains a central religious, cultural, and tourist destination. Its majestic gates, domes, and minarets have long stood as symbols of India’s rich architectural legacy and pluralistic history. However, claims such as those made by Gupta, often unsupported by concrete evidence, risk undermining this legacy by injecting communal narratives into heritage discussions.
This demand for a survey is part of a broader pattern of targeting Muslim religious and cultural sites under the pretext of historical revisionism. Such actions, often driven by ideological motivations rather than genuine scholarly inquiry, have the potential to disrupt communal harmony. They create unnecessary fissures in a society already grappling with sensitive interfaith dynamics, converting spaces of shared cultural pride into arenas of discord.
Details of the other Mosques against which petitions for survey are pending may be referred to here.
Repeated attempts to discredit Muslim heritage sites not only foster mistrust but also distract from more pressing societal challenges. These narratives risk polarising public opinion, encouraging disharmony, and eroding the spirit of coexistence that forms the foundation of India’s secular identity. These attacks by the far-right organisations do not only remain limited to courts, but also extend to creating chaos in the society.
Students recite Hanuman Chalisa near campus Mosque, Varanasi
Tensions flared at Uday Pratap College in Varanasi on Tuesday as hundreds of students gathered near a mosque on campus and recited the Hanuman Chalisa. This provocative act followed a large gathering of Muslims offering namaz at the mosque on Friday, reigniting a longstanding controversy over the ownership of the land on which the mosque is situated. The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board had, six years ago, claimed the mosque and adjoining land as Waqf property. However, the college rejected the claim, asserting that the entire campus belonged to an endowment trust. Principal D.K. Singh reiterated this position, stating the Waqf Board’s claim had been invalidated.
The situation escalated on Tuesday despite significant police presence, including senior officers, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), and barricades aimed at preventing students from approaching the mosque. The students managed to break through the security enclosures, chanting “Jai Shri Ram” as they marched towards the mosque. Although ACP (Law and Order) S. Chinappa attempted to dissuade the students, they persisted, ultimately reciting the Hanuman Chalisa from a distance, according to DCP (Varuna Zone) Chandrakant Meena.
The Waqf Board clarified that its December 2018 notice claiming the mosque and surrounding land as Waqf property was cancelled in January 2021. In a letter responding to the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid committee, the board’s law officer, Abdul Mobin Khan, confirmed the revocation of the notice issued under Section 36(7) of the Waqf Act, 1995. The notice, initially issued on the basis of claims by Varanasi resident Wasim Ahmed Khan, had alleged the land was donated by the Nawab of Tonk. The college, however, maintained that the mosque was illegally constructed and that the trust-owned property was not for sale or transfer.
Principal Singh also recalled an earlier dispute in 2022 when an attempt by the Waqf Board to build a mosque on the campus was stopped following a police intervention. Despite the Waqf Board’s clarification, the issue resurfaced in 2024, prompting renewed tensions and confusion. The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid committee’s joint secretary, S.M. Yasin, welcomed the board’s prompt response, expressing relief that the matter had been resolved.
While the ownership issue appears legally settled, the students’ act of reciting the Hanuman Chalisa near the mosque highlights a worrying trend of using religious symbolism to assert dominance and provoke tensions. Such actions, under the guise of cultural expression, risk undermining social harmony and inflaming communal divisions. The ability of the students to bypass security despite heavy police deployment raises questions about enforcement and the motives behind such organised displays. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for responsible engagement on sensitive religious matters, especially in a diverse and pluralistic society like India.
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