Waquar Hasan | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — Scores of members of the Bajrang Dal, a vociferous and extremist Hindutva outfit, on Monday night disrupted Taraweeh (Special night prayers offered during Ramadan) prayers in the basement of the private house of a Muslim advocate in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani city.
Residents of the area told Clarion India over the phone that some of the worshippers including the imam were beaten up by the Hindutva goons, but the police refute the claim.
Umair, a resident of Haldwani, told Clarion India that people from the Bajrang Dal disrupted Taraweeh which was being offered there for over a decade. The basement was developed as a mosque as there were a small number of Muslim families in that area.
He also corroborated the account of several others that the imam and some worshippers were beaten up by the mob. “They got minor injuries,” he said.
Following the disruption of the prayers, Muslims held massive protests demanding strict and immediate action against those involved.
An official at Kotwali police station in Haldwani told Clarion India that an FIR has been lodged against 40 persons on the complaint of Imam Mohammed Shahid. Out of the 40, only one person has been named in FIR. The house, belonging to advocate Zafar Siddiqui, where the namaz was being offered has also been sealed off.
According to the police, some members of the Hindu community had objected to the construction of the mosque in a private house.
The police denied that anyone was physically assaulted by the mob. “No one was beaten up. Only the imam was manhandled,” he said.
However, some members of the Muslim community told media persons that they were manhandled and beaten up. At a protest in front of Kotwali police station in the city, they also demanded immediate action against the culprits.
“They barged into the house and beat up the imam and others. After that, the police came and pushed us back…We want legal action against them. We don’t want to take the law into our hands. We have faith in the law and the constitution,” said a worshipper.
Hindi daily Dainik Jagran also reported that the imam was slapped and pushed around in front of the magistrate. This angered local Muslims who blocked the Nainital Highway. The road blockade remained till a prominent Islamic scholar intervened after being persuaded by the police.
