Mohammadganj village in Bareilly district, located about 35 kilometres from the district headquarters and under the Bisharatganj police station limits, has come under the spotlight amid tensions linked to a decades-old dispute over religious practices.
The village, which came into existence before Independence, has long been known for its fragile communal balance.
Mohammadganj has neither a temple nor a mosque, a situation that residents say helped preserve harmony for decades, with both Hindu and Muslim families travelling to neighbouring villages for worship.
However, a dispute dating back nearly 30 years has resurfaced following the detention of 12 Muslim men for offering Friday prayers inside a private house.
Mohammadganj has historically been known for an unusual arrangement: the village has neither a temple nor a mosque. Elderly residents say this balance was maintained to avoid religious disputes.
That understanding was formalised in a written agreement dated July 15, 1995, a copy of which is now being cited by complainants opposing namaz inside homes.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.