"Illegal" Mosque Row In Himachal Is A Dispute Between 2 Ideologies": Uttarakhand Wakf Br President

The Uttarakhand government has initiated a verification drive to crackdown on anti-social elements who may have settled here. The move was taken after it was alleged that the state's demography has changed due to settlement of people from other states.

Dehradun: Over the last few years, questions are being raised over the demographic changes in Uttarakhand and affect of the ongoing row over demolition of illegal mosques in the neighboring Himachal Pradesh can now be felt here.

Uttarakhand Waqf Board president Shadab Shams has clarified that the "disputed" property in Himachal Pradesh belongs to the Waqf Board. There was already a mosque there and another construction has been done in an unauthorised manner. on this site.

He explained that earlier there was a small mosque there, but, when it was expanded, more people started settling down. Due to which, the local people feel that outsiders are coming here. "If a Muslim is living there or has gone for work, then he will definitely offer Namaz," he said.

Shams said that with the arrival of these people, locals feel that the demography of this area is changing. "When people are not used to living in such an environment then they may get upset if the environment changes. In such a situation, concerns of the local people are natural," he said.

He said that whatever is going on in Himachal Pradesh is a dispute between two ideologies. The illegal construction that has taken place should not happen and the government should take action against it, he added

Coming to the situation in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that the government has launched a campaign against encroachment.

"Uttarakhand is a state where people live peacefully and nobody has the right to take law and order into their own hands. The law will take its own course. Law will ensure that no one messes with the sisters and daughters of the state. A verification drive is being run to ensure that the culture of the state is not spoiled due to the demographic change that has taken place in the state," Dhami has said.

For the last few years, questions are being raised about the demographic change in Uttarakhand. Following which, the Uttarakhand government is running a verification drive on a large scale.

Meanwhile, protests are being launched in Uttarakhand's neighboring state Himachal Pradesh over demolition of "illegal" mosques in Sanjauli and Shimla.

Read more