Select Language:
Indian cricketer-turned-politician Yusuf Pathan caused a stir within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after sharing photos of himself standing in front of Adina Mosque in Malda, West Bengal, on Friday.
In a post on X, Pathan—who now represents the Trinamool Congress—mentioned that the mosque was erected in the 14th century by Sultan Sikandar Shah, the second ruler of the Ilyas Shahi dynasty.
He emphasized the mosque’s historical importance, highlighting its display of the region’s architectural splendor.
The BJP West Bengal party, however, turned this simple photo into a controversy by alleging, without definitive evidence, that the mosque was built atop the remains of a Hindu temple.
For years, BJP leaders have claimed that the mosque was constructed after destroying the Adinath Temple. In 2022, a leader suggested the temple was buried beneath the mosque’s foundations.
Two years later, a Hindu devotee attempted to perform religious rituals inside the mosque but was stopped, and a case was filed against him. A lawyer also petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Interior Minister Amit Shah, urging them to permit Hindu worshippers to carry out rituals within the mosque.
Pathan’s post has reignited the ongoing debate about the BJP’s assertions that many mosques are built on former Hindu temple sites.
Pathan serves as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha representing West Bengal for the Trinamool Congress. Prior to his political career, he was part of the Indian cricket team that secured the T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ODI World Cup in 2011. His younger brother, Irfan Pathan, is also a well-known figure in Indian cricket.
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Gemini AI
Grok AI
