New Delhi, The inauguration of the Ram temple at the site of the demolished five-century-old Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has heightened tensions across India, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the construction of the temple, a long-standing part of the BJP’s electoral strategy, has instilled fear among Muslims in the region. Many have sent their children and women to safer locations, anticipating potential attacks by Hindutva mobs. The December 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid by a Hindu mob remains a contentious issue, celebrated by Hindutva supporters but remembered as a day of terror by Muslims.

Since the BJP’s rise to power in 2014, there has been a perceived agenda to erase traces of Muslim civilization in India. The Ramjanmbhoomi site has been under central force protection since the late 1990s, with substantial security arrangements, including state forces, artificial intelligence, drones, and CCTVs, especially for this event.

Muslim communities have petitioned local authorities for heightened security in areas with significant Muslim populations, recalling the violence they faced in the aftermath of the mosque’s demolition.

The inauguration event has attracted notable personalities, including filmstars Amitabh Bachchan and Ranbir Kapoor, but some senior Hindu religious leaders are reportedly boycotting it. Arshad Madani, president of the Deoband Muslim seminary, shared concerns about the safety of Muslims in Ayodhya in an interview with Newslaundry.

In Ayodhya, where Muslims comprise 14.8% of the population, there is a palpable fear of a repeat of the anti-Muslim riots of the 1990s. A member of the Sunni Central Waqf Board sub-committee in Ayodhya highlighted that many Muslims have relocated their families to neighboring districts, recalling the horrific violence of those times.

The personal account of Anwari Begum, who experienced the 1992 violence and lost her husband, Mohammad Amin, underscores the traumatic impact of such events on the local Muslim community.