By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net
Patna: Khasi Students Union closed a mosque in Lumshnong in Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya alleging that the building of the mosque was being used to shelter illegal Bangladeshis.
The union further blamed that the mosque was built without the permission of the local village council and that the owner of the land on which the mosque stands doesn’t know about the existence of any mosque on his land.
In order to verify the incident TwoCircles.net talked to Syedullah Nongurun, general secretary of Shillong Muslim Union.
Nongurun who is a Congress MLA and former health minister in the previous congress government rejected all of these allegations made by Khasi Students Union.
“All of their allegations are totally wrong and politically motivated,” he said. He pointed out that the way the whole issue of the mosque has been highlighted is politically motivated.
He further alleged the involvement of some communal groups that want to disturb the communal harmony in the area to encash it in the coming elections.
“You shouldn’t be surprised if there are some communal groups which want to exploit any possible clash and confrontation between the communities in the coming general election,” he told TCN.
He pointed out that closing a mosque without any enquiry into the allegations leveled against it amounts to encroaching the fundamental rights of people which empower them with the right to practice and worship their religion.
On the issue of sheltering illegal Bangladeshis he categorically pointed out that it is a blatant lie that the place was being used to shelter the infiltrators from Bangladesh. He further pointed out that he will support action against the illegal Bangladeshis bu the question that needs to be asked whether they are here in the state.
Most of the people in the area concerned are from the border areas of Assam like Silchar and also from Berpetta. All of these people are very poor and have migrated to Assam in search of livelihood, argued Syedullah Nongurun.
He will protest against the harassment of poor and innocent Muslims in the name of illegal Bangladeshi infiltration.
He said that he is going to raise the matter of closure of the mosque in the state assembly and also with the concerned authorities.
He alleged that it is the handiwork of the local anti social elements.
“Until we were in power we managed to stop these local anti-social elements which wanted to disrupt and disturb the peace and communal harmony of the state, but in the present government they have got the courage to do whatever they want,” he said.
He vowed that he and his party will not allow anyone to jeopardize the communal harmony of the state and the country.