By TCN News,
Pune: The All-Pune Masjid Action Committee (APMAC) held a massive protest outside the office of the Pune district collector on Friday (29th July) to protest against Maharashtra government’s stay on building of a refurbished building at the historic Haji Mekkeshah Masjid at Deccan Gymkhana corner.
According to Zahid Shiekh, president of APMAC, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had twice sanctioned the plans for the new building at the present site of the 200-year-old mosque. But the state home department stayed the permission citing a government resolution (GR) of 2009, which directed the state government to stall permission to religious structures, which is indirectly implemented on only Masjids.
Pune Muslims protest on 29th July 2011 against restrictions on building a mosque
More than 10,000 people had gathered at the district collectorate. Leaders from Social Democratic Party of India besides Dalit and Maratha movements and Republican Party of India (RPI) addressed the gathering.
SDPI Leader Liyakat Khan alleged that the said GR( Government Resolution) is being used to stall the construction of mosques across the state. In Pune alone, construction of nine mosques is pending, he said. This was a direct attack on the right to worship of the Muslim community and ruling parties (Congress and NCP) will get lesson in upcoming corporation election, he added.
He also urged the people to boycott iftar parties and Eid-get together given by ruling parties.
A memorandum was presented to the district collector by the APMAC demanding withdrawal of the stay issued by the home ministry. Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal also took part in the protest outside the district collector’s office on Friday.