By Mayank Kumar
Bharatiya Colony area under Nai Mandi police station limits in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh remained on edge on Tuesday after a Muslim man bought a house in the neighbourhood, with right-wing outfits allegedly warning that under no circumstances will Muslim families be allowed to settle in the predominantly Hindu locality.
Tension escalated in the area after Hindu organisations claimed that namaz was offered in the open by dozens of people and also alleged that an organisation named Awam-e-Hind is being run from the house. Amid the uproar, the house owner at the centre of controversy is reportedly planning to sell the property.
The owner, Nadeem, bought the property during an open auction by a bank following which several organisations claimed there was “no need for Muslim residents in the Hindu locality”. The outfits also alleged that plans are afoot to establish a madrasa in the premises. The groups staged a protest, demanding the eviction of the family from the area.
The police in Muzaffarnagar said the incident was being probed and security personnel have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order. “An investigation is going on. There were allegations about people offering prayers in the open without permission etc. We are conducting a probe and keeping an eye. There is no law and order problem in the area at the moment,” Rupali Rao, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Nai Mandi, Muzaffarnagar, told The Hindu.
This story was originally published in thehindu.com.