In Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, seven individuals were briefly detained by the police after they recited Hanuman Chalisa near a mosque on the premises of Uday Pratap College while fellow students were offering namaz. The incident occurred on Tuesday, leading to a brief standoff between the students and authorities. The police intervened to defuse the situation and later released the detained students later that evening.
Protest Against “Outsiders” Attending Namaz
Vivekanand Singh, a student leader at Uday Pratap College, claimed that the recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa was intended as a protest against “outsiders” attending namaz at the college mosque. He clarified the students’ position, saying, “We have no problem if the students here offer namaz or worship in the mosque or temple on the college premises. But we do not accept that outsiders are gathering here in the name of offering namaz on the college premises.” Singh’s statement reflects concerns about non-student individuals participating in religious activities on the campus, which triggered the recitation of the religious hymn as an act of resistance.
Police Intervention and Detentions
The situation escalated when the students refused to stop their chanting near the mosque, insisting on their right to protest. The police were called to the scene and worked to pacify the protesting students. “The police pacified them and sent them back. The police also detained seven students who were released in the evening,” stated Vidush Saxena, the Additional Commissioner of Police for the Varanasi Cantt area. The authorities took action to restore order on the campus and prevent any further disruptions, though the tensions between the groups remained high.
The incident also highlights an ongoing dispute over the mosque’s ownership and its place on the college campus. College principal D K Singh explained that a notice from 2018 had stated that the mosque on the premises was donated to the Waqf Board by the Nawab of Tonk and that the land was a Waqf property. The notice had questioned the legitimacy of the mosque’s construction on the college grounds. In response, the college administration had maintained that the mosque was built illegally, emphasizing that the college property was owned by a trust and could neither be bought nor sold. This disagreement has fueled tensions, adding a layer of complexity to the issue.
Construction Stoppage at the Mosque
Further complicating matters, Deputy Commissioner of Police Chandrakant Meena confirmed that the college administration had filed complaints in 2022, leading to a halt in construction work at the mosque. The dispute over the mosque’s legal standing and the campus’s control has been a point of contention between the college authorities and the local community, with both sides asserting their rights over the premises.
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