Varanasi college-mosque row: 5 held for 'spreading rumours'

Varanasi: Amid tension at the Uday Pratap College here over a mosque located on its premises, police on Saturday arrested five people for allegedly spreading rumours, officials said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Cantonment, Vidush Saxena said, "We have arrested one Mukhtar Ahmed and four others for spreading rumours that could lead to disharmony among communities." A case in this regard was lodged a few days ago, the officer said.

The move followed Tuesday's unrest after students recited the Hanuman Chalisa when namaz was being offered near the mosque. Seven men were briefly detained after the row on Tuesday, according to the local police.

In a related development, students of the college have formed a "student court" and sent an 11-point letter to the Uttar Pradesh Waqf Board, demanding a response within 15 days regarding the status of the mosque and its ownership.

Mohammad Yaseen, joint secretary of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, had earlier said that he wrote to the Uttar Pradesh Central Waqf Board to check the status of the mosque on Tuesday itself.

"The Uttar Pradesh Central Waqf Board has clarified that its 2018 notice claiming the mosque as Waqf property was cancelled on January 18, 2021. There is no reason for the current controversy," Yaseen had claimed.

The tension arose after students protested against "outsiders" offering prayers at the mosque, citing concerns about unauthorised entry into the college campus.

On Friday, hundreds of students gathered at the college gate, shouting "Jai Shri Ram" and waving saffron flags. They attempted to enter the campus, but the police personnel stationed at the gate prevented them from doing so.

A local official said the college management had reached out to the administration, seeking verification of the identity of the entrants to the campus and that police have since been vigilant to prevent further disruptions.