Uttarkashi: The matter of mosque dispute in Uttarkashi city has now reached the Nainital High Court. People of the Muslim community have approached the High Court and filed a petition seeking protection for the mosque amid protests and agitation demanding demolition of the mosque. According to the petition filed in court, the community members claimed that the mosque was built in a legal way following all the norms.
Fearing backlash from the protestors, this appeal demands protection for the mosque. Recently, on the call of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, a Hindu organization ‘Devbhoomi Vichar Manch’ has announced a memorandum against the mosque on the tehsil level on November 25 and a Maha Panchayat on December 1.
Appeal filed in High Court
Ishtiaq Ahmed, who filed an appeal in the High Court last Monday, stated that the mosque being called illegal has all the necessary documents, from the land registry to the mutation, which have been submitted to the district administration. He noted that the mosque is listed in the Municipality records of 1982 and registered with the Uttar Pradesh Wakf Board in 1986, now under the Uttarakhand Wakf Board Dehradun. Additionally, the district administration previously issued a press release confirming that the mosque is not built on government land.
What is the whole issue?
An umbrella group of Hindu organizations, Sanyukt Sanatan Dharam Rakshak Sangh, submitted a memorandum to Uttarkashi district magistrate Meharban Singh Bisht on 9 September this year, demanding demolition of the mosque, claiming it illegal as it was not registered in the official revenue records. DM Uttarkashi later constituted a committee to ascertain the legality of the mosque. This committee found that the mosque was legal and the land, on which it is built, is registered in the name of a member of the Muslim community.
Hindu organizations opened a front against this mosque
Not satisfied with the findings of the committee constituted to ascertain the legal standing of the mosque, the Hindu organizations opened a front against the mosque. They claimed that this structure is basically a house not a mosque. Later, on 24 October, this umbrella organization called for a rally ‘Aakrosh rally’ in which some protestors violated the route prescribed by administration. After the deadlock, stone pelting and lathi charge took place, in which 27 people including 9 police personnel were injured.
A ‘Mahapanchayat’ to be held on 1 December
On 25 October, a case was registered against 200 unidentified people including 8 named persons for the riot. The police arrested the three main organizers and sent them to jail on judicial custody, who have got bail from the District Judge’s court. After the said case, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who visited Uttarkashi, has talked about investigating the entire dispute.
Despite this, the dispute has not calmed down. On the call of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Devbhoomi Vichar Manch has announced a memorandum at the tehsil level on November 25 and a Mahapanchayat on December 1 against the mosque, citing illegality in its construction.
