Owaisi slams centre over plan to remove century-old Delhi mosque

The Centre recently informed the Delhi High Court that permanent religious structures inside government office complexes are impermissible. It argued that such structures violate the secular character of government properties.

Reacting to the government’s submission, Owaisi targeted the ruling NDA government. He pointed out that official projects often begin with specific religious rituals.

Owaisi noted that the government inaugurated the ambitious Central Vista project with a traditional Bhoomi Pooja ritual. He shared his views in a recent post on social media platform X.

He questioned the application of secular principles in this case. Owaisi stated that secularism seems unoffended by public rituals of one faith.

However, he argued that the government remains opposed to a historical mosque. He emphasized that the Qadeemi Masjid existed long before Krishi Bhawan was built.

The Union government defended its decision by highlighting the scope of the Central Vista Redevelopment Master Plan. The project involves building modern offices for national governance.

Authorities plan to construct Common Central Secretariat Buildings 4 and 5 at Plot No. 120. This redevelopment area covers the current footprints of both Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan.

The government classified the construction project as an initiative of paramount national importance. Officials stated that modernizing the infrastructure remains essential for national administration.

The Qadeemi Masjid currently stands directly on the designated project site. The Centre stated that workers must remove the structure to complete the planned redevelopment project successfully.