By TCN Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Hindu residents of Gazi Gulla locality in Jalandhar district of Punjab have stopped Muslims from offering prayers at a piece of land that is the property of Punjab Wakf Board. The board had demarcated the site long ago for a mosque. The local Muslims even urged that prayers be allowed at least for Ramzan, but that too was not allowed, and Police rather than implementing rule of law promptly locked the site.
The incident took place on this past Thursday night. When local Muslims came up to offer Travih prayers (long night prayers in Ramzan), Hindu residents of the colony sat on protest demonstration outside the spot and started sloganeering. They didn’t allow Muslims to offer prayers which had started from the first day of this Ramzan.
Local leaders from both Congress and BJP including Hindutva groups have joined hand in protesting the construction of the mosque. “Come what may, we’ll not allow it at any cost – neither the mosque nor prayers anymore,” said Neelam Gogi, Sr. VP of district Mahila Congress as quoted by a Times of India reporter.
Asked how they could stop when it was Waqf Board land, she asked as to where were these people all these years. “It will be a wrong thing, if mosque comes up in a residential area,” she held.
Giving details about the case, Maulana Usman Rahmani, Member, Punjab Wakf Board told TwoCircles.net that the piece of land is the property of the state waqf board. The board had a vast piece of land in Gaazi Gulla area of Jalandhar. Long ago the board leased out major chunk on which over the years a colony came up. The board while leasing out had set aside a piece of land for future mosque hoping Muslim population in the area in coming days. The Gaazi Gulla today is predominantly a Hindu locality. There are 4-5 houses of Muslims that too are on rent. This Ramazan they started Travih prayers at the site after erecting a temporary shed. They were planning to build a mosque after Ramzan. But Hindu residents of the locality with the support of Hindu groups forcibly stopped Muslims from offering prayer at the wakf board site.
“Punjab Wakf Board members of Jalandhar district tried to protect the land for prayers, but they failed as the administration was on the other side. This shows the inability of the government to ensure justice to minority. The incident also shows that Muslim leaders in the government are incompetent in protecting the interests of the community,” said Maulana Rahmani who is son of Maulana Habibur Rahman Sani Ludhianvi, Shahi Imam of Punjab and national president of Majlis Ahrar Islam.
Though member of the state wakf board, Maulana Rahmani criticized both board leadership and the community leaders in Jalandhar for not fighting for the case strongly. “Where are the community leaders in Jalandhar who carry flags of BJP. The party is in power in the state, why didn’t they ensured protection of the wakf piece,” said he. Asked if it does not show the weakness of the board also, he admitted the board did not take up the case properly.
There are about 1.5 to 2 lakh Muslims in Jalandhar which has 20 to 25 lakh population. About 70% of the local Muslims are migrants from UP and Bihar – mostly from UP.
Maulana Usman Rahmani said the police have put up the case before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate who will decide the case after Ramazan.