A view of the Jama Masjid on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, in old Delhi, Tuesday, May 3, 2022.
Highlights
- The iconic Jama Masjid was constructed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
- Hindu Mahasabha pleaded PM Modi to issue an order for digging the site to extract the idols
- The demand came amidst a row over the discovery of a Shivling at the Gyanvapi Masjid
The Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming that idols of Hindu gods and goddesses are buried under Delhi's Jama Masjid. The outfit has demanded that the site be dug out.
It said that Mughals demolished temples in the country to construct mosques. "The Ram Janambhoomi, Krishna Janambhoomi and Gyanvapi are clear examples," it said.
The Mahasabha said that Aurangzeb ordered to bury the idols of Hindu gods and goddesses under the stairs of Delhi's Jama Masjid when Khan Jahan Bahadur, the most senior general in Aurangzeb's army, returned from Jodhpur and other regions after destroying the religious sites of Hindus.
"Therefore, it is necessary to issue direction to the concerned department to dig the site to extract the idols," Hindu Mahasabha chief Chakrapani Maharaj wrote in the letter address to PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha's letter 
The historic Jama Masjid was constructed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1644-1656. Aurangzeb, considered the last effective Mughal emperor, ruled for nearly 49 years until his death in 1707.
The demand comes amidst a raging controversy involving the Gyanvapi Masjid near the famed Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. A video survey of the mosque was done recently at the behest of the local court. According to Hindu petitioners, a Shivling was found inside the wazukhana following which the court directed to seal the area.
READ MORE: Gyanvapi case: Shut fountains of Taj Mahal too, says Owaisi
