Owaisi Slams Centre Over Demolition of Century-Old Mosque in New Delhi

Remarking that secularism doesn’t seem to be “offended by Hindu rituals but is allergic to a mosque”, Asaduddin Owaisi hit back at the Union Government over its claims that a mosque inside government premises is incompatible with its secular character. His statements came a day after the Centre informed the Delhi High Court that the century-old Qadeemi Mosque inside the government office complex needs to be demolished as part of the Central Vista project. The reason given: the mosque is incompatible with the secular character of the property. “The Union government has told the Delhi High Court that the century-old Qadeemi Masjid, located within the Krishi Bhawan compound in New Delhi, must be removed to make way for the redevelopment of the Common Central Secretariat (CCS) under the Central Vista project,” the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader wrote on X. He said the government argues that the mosque is “impermissible and incompatible with the secular character of government property”, when the ruling party itself inaugurated the project with Bhoomi Puja. “Apparently, secularism is not offended by the use of one faith’s rituals for a public project but is allergic to a masjid that has stood there even before 1912, long before Krishi Bhawan was even built,” Owaisi said. The Central Vista project began in 2019, intending to redevelop a 3.2-kilometre stretch of central Delhi to make way for new Common Central Secretariat (CCS) buildings. The new Parliament building, the Vice President’s residence, the Central Secretariat, and the new Prime Minister’s Office have been completed. The Krishi Bhawan, headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, is slated for demolition as part of the project. The Centre’s status report filed through the Land and Development Office (L&DO) contends that the mosque is built on government land and that its committee was given only permissive or temporary possession. The government said the complex was designated solely for administrative, government, or public service events.