SINCE Narendra Modi’s Hindutva government came to power in India, Muslims have faced growing hostility, discriminatory laws and attacks on their religious and cultural heritage. The demolition of mosques and other Muslim sacred sites has become a disturbing feature of this campaign. Reports refer to more than 3,000 mosques, shrines and dargahs being targeted, while some estimates place the number of threatened Muslim religious sites far higher. The scale of these developments raises serious concerns about the future of religious freedom and India’s secular character.
The destruction of the Babri Masjid remains a defining episode in this decline. Following its demolition, Hindu extremists declared, “Ayodhya is only a glimpse; Kashi and Mathura still remain.” The Indian Supreme Court subsequently permitted the construction of a Ram temple on the site of the historic mosque, a decision widely criticised by Muslims as a grave injustice. Modi laid the temple’s foundation stone, reinforcing concerns that Hindutva ideology was displacing the principles of secularism and equal citizenship.
The campaign has intensified under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), particularly in Uttar Pradesh, governed by Yogi Adityanath. In September 2026, reports emerged of the demolition of a century-old mosque in Saharanpur district, prompting Pakistan’s Foreign Office to protest and urge the international community to take notice of the targeting of Muslim places of worship. From occupied Kashmir to other parts of India, demolitions of mosques, madrasas, dargahs and shrines have fuelled fears that Muslim heritage is being systematically erased.
In Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party legislator Iqra Hasan was reportedly denied permission to visit a demolished mosque and detained after protesting. Bricks bearing the date 1909 and a well reportedly 20 feet deep were recovered from the rubble. The mosque committee had also submitted historical records to the court, including an electricity bill dated 1 January 1911, to establish the mosque’s antiquity.
Other incidents illustrate the breadth of the controversy. In Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain, a 600-year-old mosque was reportedly threatened with demolition to facilitate a route for Hindu pilgrims. In August 2026, a mosque in Mussoorie, reportedly built in accordance with a 1918 map, was demolished. In July, reports indicated that five mosques were demolished within 24 hours under the pretext of removing encroachments. Bahraich, Siddharthnagar, Muzaffarnagar and other areas have also witnessed demolitions affecting mosques and madrasas. The 185-year-old Noori Masjid in Fatehpur was among the historic religious sites reportedly destroyed.
Uttarakhand has witnessed the removal of hundreds of religious structures, according to reports, while demolitions and forced evacuations have also affected Muslim sacred sites in Rajasthan and other BJP-governed states. Such actions cannot be viewed merely as routine administrative measures when they disproportionately affect one community and threaten places of worship with deep historical significance. Questions of land ownership and encroachment must be addressed through transparent procedures, equal application of the law and due process, rather than selective enforcement.
India’s Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, generally prohibits changing the religious character of places of worship as it existed on 15 August 1947. The Babri Masjid dispute was excluded from its scope. Many Muslims had hoped that the destruction of Babri would not be followed by challenges to other historic mosques. However, continuing litigation and demolition drives have deepened their insecurity.
The Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi has been at the centre of a prolonged legal dispute over claims that it occupies part of the Kashi Vishwanath temple site. Court-authorised surveys by the Archaeological Survey of India have added to the controversy. Similar claims have been raised against the Shahi Idgah in Mathura, associated with the dispute over the birthplace of Lord Krishna, and the 16th-century Jama Masjid in Sambhal, which has faced claims of having replaced a Hindu temple. These disputes underline the importance of judicial impartiality, historical evidence and respect for the law. The growing use of bulldozers against Muslim structures has further intensified fears of collective punishment and religious discrimination. The wider political climate compounds these concerns. Muslims face attacks by Hindu extremists, including incidents linked to allegations of cow slaughter. The renaming of cities and roads associated with Muslim history, alongside changes to educational curricula, has raised concerns about the marginalisation of the country’s Islamic heritage. Critics argue that rewriting historical narratives to diminish Muslim contributions undermines India’s pluralistic traditions.
The government’s slogan of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” promises collective progress, yet critics question its credibility when Muslims report discrimination and insecurity. Allegations of media bias, selective investigations and the portrayal of Muslims as criminals have further weakened confidence in equal treatment. These developments also affect other minorities, Dalits and lower-caste communities, raising broader questions about religious freedom, social justice and democratic accountability.
India’s ambitions of Akhand Bharat have caused unease across South Asia. Hindu nationalist leaders have repeatedly invoked the idea of a united subcontinent, while RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat reportedly spoke in 2022 of achieving this objective through force. Such rhetoric, alongside policies perceived as hostile to Muslims, risks aggravating regional tensions and undermining peaceful coexistence.
The protection of places of worship is not merely a matter of preserving buildings; it is essential to safeguarding history, identity and religious freedom. India’s authorities must ensure that legal disputes are resolved impartially, demolitions follow due process and all communities enjoy equal protection under the law. Pakistan and the international community should continue to monitor these developments and raise concerns through appropriate diplomatic and human-rights channels. India’s democratic credibility ultimately depends on whether it can protect its minorities and preserve the pluralism that has long been central to its civilisational heritage.
—The writer is Chairman, Tehrik Jawanan Pakistan.
