Never forget Babri Masjid: Owaisi

Hyderabad, Dec 6 (IANS) AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said that the demolition of Babri Masjid will always be remembered.

On 29th anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, the MP from Hyderabad took to Twitter to post a video clip from his old speech with the hashtag #NeverForgetBabri.

Owaisi had said in his speech that even while taking last breath, "we will tell our children to remember the martyrdom of Babri Masjid".

Meanwhile, the anniversary of the demolition passed off peacefully in Hyderabad amid tight security arrangements by the police.

Unlike in the past, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) or no other major Muslim organisation called for shutdown or observing a "black day".

However, a few smaller religious organisations had called upon people to observe the anniversary as a black day by shutting down their business.

Few Muslim shopkeepers in the old city of Hyderabad kept their shops closed while black flags were hoisted at few places to mark the day.

Wahdat-e-Islami organised an all party protest meeting at Masjid Ujale Shah in Saeedabad area to demand reconstruction of Babri Masjid. Speakers at the meeting vowed to continue their fight till reconstruction of the mosque at the same place where it stood till December 6, 1992.

Tehreek-e-Muslim Shabban President Mushtaq Malik said that once a mosque is built at a place it remains a mosque for eternity. "Irrespective of the changes made in its status, a mosque remains a mosque till the end of this world," he said.

Malik claimed that the court had ruled in favour of the mosque by calling the act of installation of idols surreptitiously in 1949 a "crime". "The court also called the demolition of Babri Masjid a criminal act. We have two evidences in favour of the mosque. Inshalla it will be rebuilt and history will witness this," he said.

All India Muslim League leader Abdul Sattar Mujahid, who had called for observing a black day, said a grave injustice was done by demolishing the mosque and building a temple at the same place. He said black day should be observed every year till the mosque is rebuilt at its original site.

Women and children staged a peaceful protest in Saeedabad. They were carrying black flags and banners which read "a mosque remains a mosque", "duty of ummat to reclaim mosque", and "mosques are property of Allah". The women also offered namaz and prayed for reconstruction of Babri Masjid.

In view of the call given by some organisations, police had made elaborate security arrangements in twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Additional forces were deployed at sensitive places. Security was tightened near the historic Mecca Masjid near Charminar and near other places of worship.