GG News Bureau
Varanasi, 6th Dec. Tensions escalated at Uday Pratap College in Varanasi on Thursday following a dispute over a mosque located on its premises. The college administration, responding to the unrest, restricted outsiders’ entry into the campus, allowing only students with valid identity cards to pass through. This decision came after violent confrontations earlier in the week when students recited Hanuman Chalisa while namaz was being offered near the mosque.
On Tuesday, the dispute led to brief detentions of seven individuals by the local police. Student leader Vivekanand Singh confirmed that additional security measures were implemented at the college gate, with police personnel checking identity cards to prevent any outsiders from entering. A group of students is also reportedly assisting in monitoring the gates. Singh further added that no one offered namaz on Thursday, and further precautions would be taken on Friday during the Jumma prayers.
In a related development, the college’s student body formed a “student court” and sent an 11-point letter to the Uttar Pradesh Waqf Board, demanding clarity on the mosque’s status and ownership. The letter demands a response within 15 days regarding the mosque’s legal status.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Yaseen, joint secretary of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, confirmed that he had written to the Uttar Pradesh Central Waqf Board to clarify the mosque’s status. Yaseen shared that the board had canceled a 2018 notice that claimed the mosque as Waqf property on January 18, 2021, dismissing the current controversy.
The tensions were sparked when students voiced concerns over what they deemed the “unauthorized” presence of outsiders offering prayers at the mosque. In response to the situation, a local official noted that the college administration had contacted the authorities to verify entrants, with the police now taking active measures to ensure peace and prevent further disruptions on campus.
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