“This shows his fear…,” Dhirendra Shastri replies to Owaisi’s ‘safeguard mosques’ remark

Noida: Bageshwar Dham’s Peethadhishwar Dhirendra Shastri on Friday lashed out at AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi over his recent lost ‘Masjid’ remarks and said that this shows Owaisi’s “fear” and this should remain.

“This just shows his fear. We don’t want to build temples on Masjids but want to reconstruct temples. If he has this fear then I pray this fear should remain inside him,” Shastri told ANI on Friday.

As the inauguration of the Ram Temple is nearing, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on January 1, appealed to the youth of the Muslim community to be watchful of the activities done by the BJP-led Centre and said that masjids in the country should remain inhabited.

With reference to Babri Masjid, Asaduddin Owaisi said that the place where the holy Quran was recited for the past 500 years is not in their hands anymore.

#WATCH | On the statement of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Bageshwar Dham’s Dhirendra Shastri says, “…This just shows his fear…We don’t want to build temples on Masjids but want to reconstruct temples…” pic.twitter.com/qSfNq5DCDe

— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2024

“Young people, I am telling you, we have lost our Masjid and you are seeing what is being done there. Don’t you have pain in your hearts ?,” Owaisi said at a programme in Bhavani Nagar.

“The place where we sat and recited the Quran for 500 years is not in our hands today. Young people, don’t you see that a conspiracy is taking place regarding three- four more mosques, in which the Sunheri Masjid (Golden Mosque) of Delhi is also included? After years of hard work, we have achieved our position today. You have to pay attention to these things,” he added.

#WATCH | Bageshwar Dham’s Dhirendra Shastri says, “Lord Ram belongs to everyone…Lord Ram is a great leader. Ram Temple is not being built for casteism but for the faith of all Ram devotees…” pic.twitter.com/48x59GWDlZ

— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2024

AIMIM chief further stated that young Muslims have to remain alert and united.

“Maintain your support and strength. Keep your mosques populated. It may happen that these Masjids are taken away from us. I hope the young man of today who will be the old man of tomorrow will keep his eyes ahead and think hard about how he can help himself, his family, his city, and his neighbourhood. Unity is a strength, unity is a blessing,” Owaisi added.

#WATCH | Bageshwar Dham’s Dhirendra Shastri says, “Lord Ram is not a topic of politics. ‘Dharma se raajneeti chalti hain. Raajneeti se Dharma nahin chalta’…” pic.twitter.com/st6UeRaUeJ

— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2024

As per temple officials, the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir will be held over seven days, starting on January 16. On the final day, January 22, after the morning puja, the deity of Ram Lala will be consecrated in ‘Mrigashira Nakshatra’ in the afternoon.

The foundation stone of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was laid by Narendra Modi on August 5, 2020.

It is pertinent to note that the Supreme Court’s verdict in 2019 on the Ayodhya dispute paved the way for the construction of a grand Ram temple.

Following the apex court verdict, the Centre set up Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Tirtha Kshetra’ Trust to take all decisions regarding the construction of a magnificent Ram Temple in Ayodhya.