ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday condemned the ongoing construction of a Hindu temple at the site of Babri Mosque, which was demolished by far-right Hindus in the Indian city of Ayodhya 30 years ago, and called out Indian authorities for acquitting the ones responsible for the destruction of the historic mosque. 

The 16th-century mosque was vandalized and demolished by Hindu supremacist groups on December 6, 1992. Hindu nationalists claim that Mughal emperor Babur demolished an ancient temple marking the birthplace of their deity, Ram, in order to construct Babri Mosque. 

The destruction of the mosque was the culmination of a long campaign to turn the site into a Hindu temple, which began in the late 1940s when Hindu idols were placed inside the mosque and it was closed after being declared a “disputed structure.” In the 1980s, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which currently rules India, and affiliated organizations reignited the issue and the historic mosque was eventually demolished. 

In September 2020, a special Indian court acquitted all the 32 people accused of the demolition of Babri Mosque, including former deputy prime minister L.K. Advani, former union ministers Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti, and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh. 

“Today marks the 30th anniversary of the demolition of the historic Babri Mosque in the Indian city of Ayodhya by Hindu zealots. The occasion is a sad reminder of the growing anti-Muslim frenzy in India ever since,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement. 

“We condemn the ongoing construction of a Hindu temple on the site of the demolished mosque, and the acquittal of the criminals responsible for its destruction.” 

The Foreign Office noted that Hindu supremacist groups in India were demanding conversion of some other mosques into temples, including the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi. 

“These demands might lead to more tragedies like that of the Babri Mosque,” it added. 

Islamabad further called upon India to ensure that Babri Mosque is rebuilt on its original site and the criminals responsible for its destruction are awarded a befitting punishment. 

It also urged the international community, the United Nations, and relevant international organizations to play their role in preserving the Islamic heritage sites in India from Hindu extremist groups.