By Ghazala Ahmad
Tension has emerged in the Thano area of Dehradun after the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) sealed the premises of Jama Masjid Thano, with residents alleging that the action went beyond the scope of the court’s order.
According to members of the local Muslim community, the court’s directive pertained only to a specific 20-by-40-foot portion of the mosque complex.
However, they claim that the MDDA sealed the entire premises, preventing access to the mosque and its facilities.
The Muslim community has accused the administration of acting under pressure from Hindu organisations, including Bajrang Dal and local Hindu groups.
They contend that the authorities failed to follow the provisions of the notice and did not act in accordance with the law.
The controversy intensified when Bhupesh Joshi, state convener of the Kali Sena organisation, visited the mosque premises along with administrative officials. Witnesses allege that Joshi told mosque representative Asim Ali that the mosque should be vacated by June 1, or the organisation would do it themselves.
“It was supposed to be vacated today itself, but considering Eid, a request was made to the administration to allow people to celebrate the festival. By June 1, there should be no items in the mosque, and the board of ‘Jama Masjid Thano’ should also be removed,” Joshi reportedly said.
When Asim responded that the mosque possessed relevant documents, Joshi replied, “If there were documents, the administration would not take action. For this, go to the High Court or Supreme Court.”
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.
