Hindutva groups target mosque at Berinag
Hindutva groups target mosque at Berinag
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, Oct 8
After several incidents targeting the minority Muslim community by right wing Hindu organisations in Uttarakhand hills, now these groups have targeted a house which was being used by the minuscule Muslims community for offering prayers in Berinag town of Pithoragarh district.
Himanshu Joshi, president of Rashtriya Sewa Sangathan had met Pithoragarh District Magistrate on September 17, and demanded removal of the mosque from the house.” The Orgnisation has also staged a Dharna before SDM’s office on October 6, demanding removal of the mosque,” said the DM.
Pithoragarh district administration is investigating into the allegations of a Hindu outfit, Rashtriya Sewa Sangthan, of any illegal activities being carried from a mosque allegedly made in a old house in Berinag.
“We have received a memorandum from an Orgnisation named as Rashtriya Sewa Sangathan that a mosque has been illegally made in a old house in Berinag town and is being run illegally. We have ordered the investigation into the allegations,” said Vinod Girish Goswami District Magistrate, Pithoragarh.
“We have demanded from administration that if the illegal mosque continues to run, we will have to resort to nationwide agitation against it,” said Himanshu Joshi, founder initiator of Rashtriya Sewa Sangathan.
A case under section 196/2 of BNS has also been registered against Rashtriya Sewa Sangathan members after they showed the mosque live in social media some time ago. Initially,the case was against unknown persons, later police have revealed the name of members of orgnisation.
According to locals, the old house, owned by one Azim is being used by local Muslim population for offering Namaz by over 100 families of Muslim community from last 25 years. “After Azim has left the house to settle in Haldwani, the house is being regularly used by community members for offering Namaz and to run a Madrasa,” said a local residents of Berinag.
Some people had also gone to court to stop the mosque from functioning from that house but after court had stayed their petition the offering on Namaz there continued.
