New Delhi: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said on Sunday that it is closely following the recent development affecting the Muslim population in India.
Issuing a statement, the Islamic body said it was concerned with the issues pertaining to the recently amended Citizenship Act and the Supreme Court verdict on the Babri Masjid case. The OIC asked the authorities to ensure the safety of the Muslim minorities and protection of holy places of Islam in India.
The statement further said, "The General Secretariat reaffirms the crucial importance of upholding the principles and obligations enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and relevant international covenants that guarantee the rights of minorities without any discrimination."
In this regard, any action, contrary to these principles and obligations, may lead to further tensions and may have serious implications on peace and security across the region, it said.
Under the new law that has sparked debates and protests across the country, persecuted non-Muslim minorities, namely Hindus, Parsis, Christians, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, from the neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, would be granted citizenship in India.
The OIC's mention of the Babri Masjid case was related to the Supreme Court judgment that a temple be constructed for Hindus on a 2.77-acre site in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya town, while Muslims should get an alternative land to build a potential mosque.
The apex court unanimously ruled that the spot, where frenzied right-wing mobs had destroyed the four-centuries-old Babri Masjid in 1992, should be handed over to a trust that the Centre must constitute in three months to oversee the construction of a temple, subject to conditions.
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