Raze illegal mosques in Maharashtra, Sena tells AIMIM

The Shiv Sena on Monday dared All India Majlis-e-Ittedahul Muslimeen (AIMIM) to "raze thousands of illegal mosques constructed on government lands in Maharashtra".

"Will they make a demand to demolish unauthorised mosques? The Muslims have benefitted most from Haj pilgrimage subsidy. Even Haj concessions come from government treasury.... Isn't this also a waste of public funds," Shiv Sena said in an edit in the party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

Demanding that public lands and monies must not be utilised for building memorials to prominent leaders, AIMIM had recently expressed displeasure over plans to erect memorials to Chhatrapati Shivaji, Sena founder Bal Thackeray and senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde in the city.

These public funds, AIMIM contended, should instead be used to construct hospitals in the names of leaders, for the poor masses. Party MLA Imtiaz Jalil said that if such memorials had to be constructed, they could come up on private land.

"This was quite expected from the party 'owner' Akbaruddin Owaisi, who offered namaaz at the grave of Aurangzeb.... After all, they (AIMIM) are inspired by Aurangzeb and Afzal Khan - the very persons whose ideals were 'uprooted' first by Chhatrapati Shivaji and later Bal Thackeray," the edit added.

As for Jalil's warning that his party would knock on the court's doors in case AIMIM demand was not met, the Shiv Sena termed it "treachery with Maharashtra".

The Sena also questioned AIMIM on the illegal mosques on government lands and its silence on the upcoming grand memorial to Dr B.R. Ambedkar in Mumbai.

"AIMIM has commented on the memorials of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Bal Thackeray or Gopinath Munde. What about Ambedkar's memorial coming up on 14 acres of government land in Dadar? They forgot it for political expediency," the edit said.

The Sena called upon the Dalits - who voted for AIMIM candidates in several constituencies in Maharashtra in the October 2014 state assembly polls - "to kick out these frauds".

"Those who oppose 'Vande Mataram' and don't consider India as their motherland, of whichever religion, have no business to poke noses in matters of sentiments concerning the nation and the state...," the Sena added.