By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Zaheeruddin, a motor mechanic whose car repair shop is stone’s throw from Madni Masjid, is happy that the Delhi High Court judgment has come in favor of the mosque and Delhi Wakf Board. Zaheeruddin has been offering prayers in this mosque for last 25 years.
People come to offer prayers specially Friday Prayers from far and nearby areas. Neyaz Ahmad, an MNC employee, lives in a neighboring DDA flat. He offers Friday Prayers here while Rayees Ahmad comes from Tughlakabad area. All are happy with the court verdict in favor of Madni Masjid & Dargah located at Gate No. 10 of Aravali Apartments (DDA Flats) in Kalkaji area of South Delhi.
The Delhi High Court on January 20 rejected the plea of some residents from the Aravali Apartments seeking direction to the Delhi Wakf Board to shift the 128-year-old Madni Masjid elsewhere. The apartments which have several hundred flats have 2-3 Muslim families. But hundreds of Muslims gather here for Friday Prayers from neighboring colonies, markets and offices.
The mosque is the property of the Delhi Wakf Board which takes care of it. Some years back a single judge bench of the lower court had rejected the plea for shifting the mosque as there was no legal ground for it but the petitioners approached the Delhi High Court which also gave the judgment in favor of the Wakf Board after about three years.
Asked if the managing committee of the mosque tried to talk to the residents of the apartments to know their problems they might be facing from the mosque, Naseem Ahmad Malik, general secretary of the committee, told TwoCircles.net: no neighbor of the mosque has any problem with it, they have never complained, and there hasn’t been any conflict between the residents and the Muslims who come to offer prayers. Just 4-5 people, who are doing politics over the mosque, are behind the plea.
He added that until last three weeks when on Fridays the main mosque and the open space on its south would be packed people would offer prayer on the open space on the north side of the mosque but after a complaint the government authorities asked the mosque committee not to use the north side space, which is the property of the apartments, rather the main road can be used on Fridays if need be. For the last three weeks the main road is closed for traffic for one hour on Fridays.
In the mosque premises there are two mazars, where Hindus, besides Muslims, come on Thursdays to offer prayer. So there is a complete communal harmony, said Naseem.
Some time back rebuilding of the old mosque was started but some residents of the apartments approached the court successfully seeking stay on the construction. But Naseem is hopeful that after this verdict the case related to the construction pending with the Delhi’s Tis Hazari Court will also go in favor of the mosque and the Board.