Chennai, Feb 24 (BPNS)
Tension continues in Sarkar Mandi street in Gandhi Road and a heavy police posse is present after a group of people belonging to the Hindu Munnai opposed the construction of a mosque at the area.
The workers of the Hindu Munnani said that the mosque was built without proper permission and that a house was altered into a mosque overnight. The Hindu Munnani claimed that the construction of mosque would lead to friction in future as there are three temples in the area within a distance of 100m and temple processions will take place through this area.
Police in Vellore said that the building belonged to a trader and recently they renovated the building and put up a board as ‘Mosque’. This infuriated a group of people belonging to the Hindu Munnani who petitioned the district collector of future rumblings and communal tensions in the area and added that they would not allow the mosque to function.
Vellore Superintendent of Police, Rajesh Kannan while speaking to BPNS said, “ The place was used as a personal worship centre and it belongs to the Muslim community. Now they have put a board transforming it into a public worship centre. The Hindu Munnani is alleging that they don’t have any proper papers for this and the revenue department is verifying the documents. Police are on vigil and will maintain law and order at any cost.”
The Muslim groups in the meanwhile met the district collector and in a memorandum stated that the mosque was functioning at the place since 1896 and that the Hindu Munnani was unnecessarily raking up the issue. Dravida Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (DMMK) leader G.S. Iqbal while speaking to IANS said, “We have petitioned the district collector stating that the mosque was in place since 1896 and that the Hindu outfit is unnecessarily creating issue. The District collector and the RDO have gone through our petition and we expect a verdict in our favour before Friday. “
It is learned that certain Muslim groups would resort to protest marches after the Friday Namaz if the issue is not resolved till Friday.
Hindu Munnani leader R. Maniswamy while speaking to BPNS said, “We have already petitioned the District collector that commercial property is being converted into a mosque one fine morning. They don’t have proper papers for that. More over the mosque is coming up in a place where there are three temples within 100 m radius and our temple processions are taken out through this area and in future, this will lead to great friction.”
