Facades of two mosques and a mazar along the Kanwar Yatra route in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, were reportedly covered with large sheets of white cloth on Friday to “prevent trouble”. However, the sheets were removed by the evening following objections from various quarters.
The sheets were hung on bamboo scaffoldings in front of the mosques and the mazar, all located in the Jwalapur area.
The mosque’s maulana and the mazar’s caretakers said they were unaware of any administrative order regarding this action and mentioned that this was the first time such a measure had been taken during the yatra.
While the Haridwar senior superintendent of police and district magistrate were unavailable for comment, Cabinet minister Satpal Maharaj told reporters that the action was taken to maintain peace. “Any such thing is done only to prevent trouble,” news agency PTI quoted the minister as saying.
“It is not such a big thing. We also cover buildings when they are under construction,” he added.
The district administration later removed the sheets of cloth following objections, including by locals and politicians.
“We received orders from the railway police post to remove the curtains. That is why we have come to remove these,” PTI quoted Danish Ali, appointed as a special police officer (SPO) by the administration for the yatra’s management, as saying.
Congress leader and former minister Naeem Qureshi said he has never seen such a thing in his life.
“We Muslims always welcome Shiv bhakts (devotees) for the kanwar fair and arrange refreshments for them at various places. This has been an example of harmony between Hindus and Muslims in Haridwar, and there has never been a tradition of curtains,” he said.
Qureshi said before the kanwar mela started, the administration had held a meeting and members from both the Hindu and Muslim communities were made SPOs.
One of the mazar’s caretaker Shakeel Ahmad said no one spoke with the caretakers about this — covering the religious structure.
Kanwariyas stop under the shade of trees outside mosques and mazars to take rest, Ahmed said and added that this is the first time such a step was taken.
Congress leader and former district panchayat president Rao Afaque Ali said the administration’s decision to cover mosques and mazars is surprising.
“It has never happened earlier. Some kanwariyas also go to mosques to pay obeisance. India is a country where everyone takes care of every religion and caste. Today mosques are being covered, what will happen if temples are covered in this manner tomorrow?” he asked.
Uttarakhand Congress vice president Suryakant Dhasmana claimed that this was a “contempt of the Supreme Court”.
“The order to put curtains on mosques and mazars on the kanwar yatra route in Haridwar district, whoever has issued it, goes against the Supreme Court which has put a stay on an order which asked hotel and restaurant owners and fruit vendors on the route to display their names, caste and religious identity,” Dhasmana said.
Attacking the ruling BJP in the state, he said it has not learnt from its electoral defeats in Badrinath, Manglaur, Chitrakoot and Prayagraj.
“The message it has missed is that the entire country is one. BJP’s divisive and discriminatory politics has been rejected. But the party is not learning,” Dhasmana said.
