By Our Staff Reporter
Uttarkashi, 24 Oct: Various ‘Hindu’ organisations held protests against an allegedly illegally constructed mosque in Uttarkashi today. At their call, the markets of the surrounding villages, including the district headquarters, remained shut today. The leaders who called for the Uttarkashi Bandh held a huge meeting in the market, claiming that a mosque built in Uttarkashi was illegal and they demanded action by the government and administration.
Various ‘Hindu’ organisations took to the streets to hold a public rally in Uttarkashi, raising slogans of Jai Shri Ram. In support, traders also closed their business establishments. They claim that though the mosque in question is old, it is constructed on encroached government land.
The protesting leaders asserted that ‘land jihad, mazaar jihad, spit jihad, urine jihad, and love jihad’ would not be tolerated in Uttarakhand. Hindu activist Swami Darshan Bharti, who had arrived from Dehradun to participate in the protest, emphasised upon the need for unity and said that it is primarily their responsibility to ensure that the divine form of Dev Bhoomi is not spoiled. When the Hindus will unite, the administration and the government will also listen.
It may be recalled that this dispute over the mosque in Uttarkashi has been going on for the past two weeks, with Hindu organisations claiming it was built illegally. A few days ago, these organisations had also submitted a memorandum to the district administration against the mosque. DM Meherban Singh claimed today that the administration is investigating the land documents related to the mosque.