By Prem Punetha , Kalyan Das
Pithoragarh/Dehradun: Several members of a right-wing group along with a few local residents held a protest rally and a sit-in, demanding the demolition of what they described as an “illegal mosque” in Berinag area of Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. They claimed the mosque was built “unlawfully inside a house and should be removed”. The latest incident took place amid ongoing tension over a similar situation in Uttarkashi town over a fortnight ago along with many other instances of protests against the minority community in parts of the Himalayan state, which local activists see as a “planned pattern to polarise society”.
Soon after Saturday’s rally, Berinag’s SDM Srestha Gunsola issued summons to Abdul Nazim, who purportedly owns the house where the mosque is situated, seeking “clarification regarding the status of the building”. The SDM claimed the land ownership case is currently pending in the court of Pithoragarh additional district magistrate.
Gunsola said the house originally belonged to Abdul Mazid, who later moved to Haldwani, where he passed away. Its ownership was then passed to his son, Nazim, and the summons were issued to him to clarify whether he had transferred the property to others and also if he was aware of the activities taking place in the house. The SDM added: “He has been given 15 days to respond to the summons.”
The protest rally was held by ‘Rashtriya Sewa Sangh’, which alleged that the house owned by a member of the minority community was “illegally converted into a religious place in which fellow members were visiting in large groups to offer namaz”.
This story was originally published in timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Read the full story here.
