KEY POINTS
- Modi hoisted a saffron flag atop the Ram Temple.
- Indian Muslims view the event as a painful reminder of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition.
- US-based advocacy group Hindus for Human Rights accused Modi of “weaponising” Hindu faith for electoral gain.
- Hindu groups and Indian opposition parties criticise the politicisation of religion.
ISLAMABAD: The Indian government presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flag-raising ceremony in Ayodhya as a historic moment of closure, yet multiple international sources reported that for many Muslims, it reopened old wounds rather than offering reconciliation.
The temple stands on the site where the Babri Masjid once existed until its demolition in 1992, an event widely condemned as orchestrated by extremist Hindu factions.
It is pertinent to recall that the incumbent Prime Minister of Indian was leading the mob that demolished the historic mosque.
According to Time, several Muslims described the day as a reminder of historical trauma that continues to shape their sense of belonging, stating that the celebration represents the triumph of a political narrative that sidelines minority histories.
Analysts interviewed by the publication said the ceremony signals a shift in India’s public identity, embedding Hindu nationalism more deeply into state symbolism.
Human Rights Watch warned that the event “stokes religious-minority fears,” highlighting the consolidation of majoritarian power (HRW). Al Jazeera described the temple’s inauguration as a “political and ideological assertion” rather than a religious act, purely reinforcing communal divides.
The US-based group Hindus for Human Rights accused Modi of “weaponising” the Hindu faith for electoral gain and described the consecration as rushed and politically motivated, according to Dawn.
To witness the Dharma Dhwajarohan Utsav at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir is a moment crores of people in India and the world have waited for. History has been made in Ayodhya and this inspires us even more to walk the path shown by Prabhu Shri Ram. pic.twitter.com/3K9j6CQS68
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 25, 2025
Neighbouring Pakistan described the ceremony as “an affront to Indian Muslims,” warning it could set a precedent for further erosion of minority rights.
Domestic criticism exists as well. Some Hindus and opposition parties questioned the personalisation of the project, stating that the temple has become a marker of ideological dominance, overshadowing India’s pluralist foundations.
Critics from within the Hindutva camp also voiced unease: hardcore supporters of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement argued that the BJP has taken over their struggle, turning it into a “party project” rather than a purely religious endeavour.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) called it a “death knell for secularism,” accusing the BJP of using the ceremony for electoral gain, according to the Indian Express.
The construction cost of the temple, according to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, is approximately ₹2,150 crore ($285 million), financed largely through public donations, including 900 kg of silver and 20 kg of gold, as well as online and cash contributions, reported the New Indian Express.
Additional funding came from bank interest, diaspora, and local donation boxes, with the trust purchasing land for expanded facilities.
Analysts argue that the Ayodhya ceremony is not just about faith but is a deeply political statement, consolidating a majoritarian ideology while raising concerns about India’s commitment to secularism and minority rights.
Global observers have highlighted that the event may embolden further exclusionary policies and heighten tensions between religious communities, according to Le Monde.
A dark turn for minority rights in India
Pakistani Senator Sherry Rehman condemned the events unfolding in Ayodhya today, calling them a grave escalation of majoritarian politics and state-backed religious exclusion.
Senator Rehman said “As the PM of India strides into Ayodhya today for hoisting a saffron flag on the demolished Babri Masjid, he must know what he is doing: Making India unequivocally unsafe for other religions, adding not just to the precipitous erosion of rights, but giving sanction to the daily peril that non-Hindus now face.”
“This is an extension of how he ran Gujrat as CM, when he was denied a visa to many countries for egregious rights crimes. This is how a mob gets impunity to spin out of control while the police looks the other way in Muslim lynchings. This is also the state sending out a potent message of identity politics embedded in a dangerous institutionalisation of violence as the new abnormal. The police will now not only be encouraged to look the other way but understand that their role is that of a facilitator,” Sherry Rehman added.
