Varanasi: Students protest, demanding removal of mosque from college campus
What's the story
Tensions remain high at Varanasi's Uday Pratap College, where students are demanding the removal of a mosque located on the campus. The protests intensified on Friday when hundreds of students gathered at the college gate, raising slogans and waving saffron flags. The protest occurred after the Uttar Pradesh Waqf Board's old claim to ownership of the college's land surfaced last week.
Security measures
Police intervention and campus access restrictions
Student leader Vivekanand Singh said if the land on which the mosque stands doesn't belong to the Waqf board, then "the structure should be removed." They also formed a "student court" and sent a letter to the Waqf Board, asking for clarification on the mosque's ownership in 15 days. However, Mohammad Yaseen, joint secretary of the mosque committee, claimed that "The....Waqf Board has clarified that its 2018 notice claiming the mosque as Waqf property was canceled on January 18, 2021."
Ownership dispute
'Student court' seeks clarification on mosque ownership
There is no controversy, Yaseen added. Earlier this week, seven people were detained briefly for chanting the Hanuman Chalisa outside the mosque as other students were offering namaz at the mosque. Additional Commissioner of Police Vidush Saxena said police intervened to pacify the students. The seven detained were later released.
Campus surveillance
Waqf Board issues clarification
The Waqf board also issued a clarification after protests erupted. It said, "A notice was issued by the then assistant secretary, Ale Atiq, to stake a claim on the mosque area on the college premises on Dec 6, 2018, terming it as a waqf property. Through an order of the board chairman issued on Jan 18, 2021, this notice was canceled."