By Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Uttar Pradesh once again witnessed tension over a mosque construction dispute after the district administration in Deoria halted the construction of a mosque that had reportedly been under construction for nearly two and a half years with support from villagers belonging to different communities.
The incident took place in Amoni village under the Rudrapur police station area, where residents said the mosque was being built peacefully through local donations and cooperation from both Muslims and Hindus. However, after objections and complaints were raised by some Hindu organisations, the administration stepped in and stopped the ongoing construction work.
The action has left many villagers upset and confused. Residents said the construction had continued openly for a long period and questioned why the administration acted only now when most of the structure had already been completed.
According to locals, only the roof work of the mosque was pending when officials arrived at the site and ordered the work to stop.
People associated with the construction said the mosque was being built gradually with financial help from local villagers. They claimed there had never been any dispute in the village during the construction period and that members of different communities had maintained peace and mutual understanding.
Local villagers said the atmosphere in the village changed after Hindu organisations alleged that the mosque was being constructed without official permission and without completing legal formalities.
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.
