Uttarkashi mosque disputed, says government after calling it 'legal'

DEHRADUN: In a turnaround from its earlier stance, the Uttarkashi district administration, which had earlier declared a decades-old mosque to be 'legal with valid documents', said the structure was 'disputed' and granted permission to a right-wing group, which has been claiming that the masjid is illegal, to hold a mahapanchayat on the issue.

This came even as a string of officials, including the SP, were summarily transferred amid claims that this was done at the behest of right-wing group members who had met CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on the issue. The mahapanchayat, to be held at Ramleela Ground, about 250m from the mosque on Sunday, was being allowed "subject to conditions that the participants will not indulge in hate speech or any action promoting enmity between communities and not carry firearms, sharp weapons, inflammable material, sticks, or any other items that could disrupt law and order," the district administration said.

Members of the minority community, who have been living near the mosque for decades, expressed apprehensions over the developments. "We just want to live in peace and harmony," said a local trader.