Bajrang Dal members force halt to mosque work in Dehradun, allege illegal construction

Members of the Bajrang Dal in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, resorted to force to halt construction work at a mosque in Sevla Kalan on the Shimla Bypass, alleging that the religious structure was illegal, had encroached upon the road and stood in a Hindu-majority locality.

According to local reports, grouting work was under way on the mosque’s third floor when a group of Bajrang Dal members, led by Vikas Verma, arrived at the site and forcibly stopped the work, claiming that the construction obstructed commuters by encroaching upon the road.

Verma alleged that a complaint regarding the purportedly illegal construction had been lodged in 2017, but no effective action had been taken, allowing the structure to rise to three floors. He further claimed that Sevla Kalan was a Hindu-dominated area and alleged that residents had complained of being asked by the mosque authorities to vacate their homes and move elsewhere.

Demanding a comprehensive investigation into the property, Verma said that the building should be demolished immediately if it were found to have been constructed illegally. He also warned that the organisation would take matters into its own hands if the authorities failed to act within a week.

Following the incident, officials from the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA), the police and the municipal corporation arrived at the site, although they did not intervene in the dispute, according to the reports.

The mosque authorities have firmly rejected the allegations levelled by the Bajrang Dal, maintaining that the work under way was merely intended to prevent water leakage and did not involve any fresh construction.

Naeem Qureshi, president of the Muslim Seva Sangathan, and its vice-president, Aqib Qureshi, said that cement was being applied to the roof slab to prevent water from seeping through, and insisted that no new construction was taking place.

They further maintained that the mosque had been built in accordance with the applicable rules and that they possessed all the necessary documents to establish the legality of the structure.

“The mosque is legal and has been built in accordance with the rules,” they said, dismissing the allegations made by the Bajrang Dal.