100 yrs Old Mosque or Illegal Structure was removed?High level probe demanded, politics on!
Lucknow. May 19 . By Masood Hasan.
— Sharp resentment prevails among the Muslims over the demolition of structure which is “termed” to be a 100- year- old
masjid in tehsil campus of Ramsnehi Ghat of Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh.
The district administration of Barabanki has claimed that the said structure was not a mosque or any place of worship it was an illegal occupancy within the campus of tehsil boundaries and it was removed after a proper inquiry by wakf officers and legal proceedings.
The political parties and Muslims organizations have strongly condemned the action of the administration and have also demanded a high-level inquiry.
The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board and the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board have also alleged that the administration of Barabanki demolished a mosque and demanded a judicial probe into it. The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board {AIMPLB} and Uttar Pradesh Central Sunni Waqf Board are furious
over the unlawful action of administration. They have said that the district administration of Barabanki has
clearly violated the order of the High Court and bulldozed the masjid on Monday with the deployment of
heavy security forces in the area.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board {AIMPLB} which is an apex body of the Muslims has strongly
condemned the action of the administration and has demanded suspension of the officers and restoration
of the masjid. The acting general secretary of the AIMPLB Maulana Khalid Saifulla Rehmani termed the
action of the administration as unlawful and barbaric by demolishing the masjid. He said that this masjid was known as masjid Ghreeb Nawaz and there was no dispute over it which is also registered with the
Sunni Waqf Board.
The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf which is custodian of the masjid has termed the
action of the district administration as utter violation of the order of the court. The masjid which is
100- year- old was situated near the compound of the tehsil Ramsnehi ghat in Barabanki. The demolition
was done on the pretext of removal of encroachment. The chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Central Sunni
Waqf Board Mr. Zufar Ahmad Faruqi has strongly condemned the patent illegal and high handed action of
the district administration and termed it as an action against law and misuse of power. He has said,
“that it is utter violation of the clear order of the High Court. The Sunni Waqf will approach the High Court demanding restoration of the masjid, a high- level judicial inquiry and action against the guilty
officers.”
In March, the Barabanki administration has sealed the religious structure and has served a show cause to
the Masjid Committee. The masjid was registered with the Sunni Waqf Board. The Imam of the masjid Maulana Abdul
Mustafa who is a member of the masjid committee said that the masjid was 100- year- old and the Muslims
have been offering five times prayer in the masjid.
The district administration says they have taken a lawful action just to protect the government property. End