Security personnel deployed in view of a 'Mahapanchayat' called by Hindu organisations in protest demanding the removal of a mosque, in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand on Sunday
Credit: PTI Photo
Lucknow: Hindu outfits on Sunday asked the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushker Singh Dhami to conduct a survey of the mazars (tomb) and mosques in the state and "demolish" all "illegally" constructed mazars and mosques. They also warned that they would take their protest against all such "illegal" structures to different parts of the country.
At a 'Mahapanchayat' in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi town, about 650 kilometres from here, which was attended among others by controversial Telangana BJP MLA T Raja, the leaders of different saffron outfits demanded immediate removal of the mosque situated in the town claiming that it was "illegally" constructed.
Raja even went on to suggest that Dhami should hold a 'chai par charcha' (meeting over tea) with his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath and learn a few tricks from the latter. ''Dhamiji should learn from Adityanath as to how to deal with illegal mazars and mosques,'' he added.
Raja said that the people, who did not heed the advice, should be dealt with in a different manner. ''Jo log baaton se nahi mante unko bulldozer se samjhana padta hai'' (Those who can not be persuaded by talks must be convinced by bulldozers), he said.
The controversial MLA said that there were only one lakh Muslims in Uttarakhand when it became a separate state in the year 2000. ''Now their (Muslim) number is 25 lakh...we are witnessing land jihad (construction of mazars and mosques) in the state...this can not be allowed....the previous governments had encouraged such activities as they indulged in vote jegad,'' he added.
Raja said that the agitation against the illegally constructed mazars and mosques would not remain confined to Uttarakhand but it would be taken to all such states that faced this problem.
BJP MLA from Gangotri Suresh Chauhan said that he would urge the state government to declare Uttarkashi a ''religious town''.
The saffron outfits have been demanding removal of the Mosque for the past several months and in October they had taken out a rally in support of their demand. There was also violence during the protest and the police had to use force to disperse the crowd.
The matter had also reached the Uttarakhand High Court and the latter had directed the state government to take measures to safeguard the Mosque. The state government had then also said that permission would not be granted for any rally or Mahapanchayat.
The district administration, however, permitted the Mahapanchayat with certain conditions, which included among others, that there would be no hate speech there.