Protection of religious places essential: Tejaswi Yadav

Patna: September 28 (Press Release) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Working President and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its campaign to target mosques, madrassas and shrines across the country, especially in states with BJP and NDA coalition governments, in the name of alleged illegal constructions and encroachments. He termed it as taking away the religious freedom of Muslims and an open toy with the democratic and constitutional structure of the country. In a special statement, the leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav said that running bulldozers on centuries-old places of worship of minorities under the guise of law enforcement agencies is a matter of concern for any civilized society and democratic system. The administration termed it as unauthorized construction on government land, but questions have also been raised on the legality of this action. He said that demolitions related to mosques and madrasas in Sambhal and Ghaziabad, madrasas in Muzaffarnagar, a part of the Shahi Masjid in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, shrines in Uttarakhand, shrines in Gujarat, mosques in Assam, mosques and madrasas in Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Telangana were also reported. Tejaswi Yadav said that be it a mosque, a temple, a church, a church, a shrine or a madrassa, the law should be equal for all. Claiming government land or unauthorized construction does not make the state above the Constitution and due process. The solution to religious places disputes is not bulldozers, but the constitution, law and court. He said that overnight demolition of historical and religious places on the pretext of government land or illegal constructions is not an administrative action, but a deliberate attempt to terrorize the minority community under a specific political agenda. Tejashwi Yadav added that India is a constitutional democracy, where state power is also bound by the constitution and law. The claim that a mosque, shrine, madrassa, temple, church, cathedral or any place of worship is established on government land or is an unauthorized construction cannot in itself justify its demolition without due process, transparent hearing and effective legal protection. Whether the dispute over ownership or encroachment is related to any religious site, state institutions must act according to uniform legal standards and due process. Article 14 of the Constitution of India guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the law, Article 21 links the protection of life and personal liberty to due process of law, while Article 25 guarantees freedom of conscience and religious practice. Therefore, the standard of state action should not be religious identity but law, constitution, transparency and democracy. In taking action against any religious place whether it is a mosque or temple, shrine or church, seminary or any other place of worship, the state has to prove that the action is being taken under legal authority, proper notice, effective hearing and due process of law. The rule of law requires that disputes over any religious place be decided in accordance with the law, not by unilateral use of force. Tejashwi Yadav criticized the policies of the BJP, saying that the country's constitution gives every citizen complete freedom to live according to his faith and protect his places of worship. But the present ruling party is taking unilateral actions by disregarding the rule of law, which is not only damaging the principles of secularism but also hurting the democratic image of the country at the global level. He added that Rashtriya Janata Dal believes in the politics of social justice, democratic values ​​and respect for all religions. The party will not remain silent against this injustice and will continue to raise its voice strongly on every front from Parliament to the streets to defend the constitutional rights and religious freedom of the oppressed classes. Tejashwi Yadav also appealed to the judiciary and human rights institutions to take immediate notice of this serious situation and ensure concrete steps to stop this discrimination and violation of the Constitution in the name of encroachment.