SHIMLA: Two days after a massive protest was organised to demand demolition of an alleged unauthorised mosque, the state waqf board on Saturday claimed the mosque‘s legal ownership before the Shimla municipal commissioner’s court.
After hearing both sides, the municipal commissioner’s court posted the case for next hearing on October 5. Waqf board’s estate officer Kutubuddin Ahmed told mediapersons later that the dispute does not pertain to the ownership of the mosque or its land, but about its further construction.
As per records, the waqf board became the owner of the land on which the mosque was constructed when Shimla was part of undivided Punjab, he claimed. Appearing for local residents, advocate Jagat Pal told reporters later that the court has sought a status report on the construction of the disputed religious building.
He added that local people were forced to join the issue as it had been lingering in the municipal commissioner’s court for the past 14 years. Ahmed added that offering of prayers will continue at the mosque as usual. He informed that the municipal commissioner court had issued notice to the waqf board last year, to which the reply was submitted during the last hearing.
But another summons was issued after that, to which the Board submitted its reply through its advocate on Saturday, added Ahmed.
The issue of the legality of the mosque had flared up after last week’s altercation in Malyana area, when a man from the majority community had slapped a barber from the minority community, who then called his friends, resulting in a fight.
After hearing both sides, the municipal commissioner’s court posted the case for next hearing on October 5. Waqf board’s estate officer Kutubuddin Ahmed told mediapersons later that the dispute does not pertain to the ownership of the mosque or its land, but about its further construction.
As per records, the waqf board became the owner of the land on which the mosque was constructed when Shimla was part of undivided Punjab, he claimed. Appearing for local residents, advocate Jagat Pal told reporters later that the court has sought a status report on the construction of the disputed religious building.
He added that local people were forced to join the issue as it had been lingering in the municipal commissioner’s court for the past 14 years. Ahmed added that offering of prayers will continue at the mosque as usual. He informed that the municipal commissioner court had issued notice to the waqf board last year, to which the reply was submitted during the last hearing.
But another summons was issued after that, to which the Board submitted its reply through its advocate on Saturday, added Ahmed.
The issue of the legality of the mosque had flared up after last week’s altercation in Malyana area, when a man from the majority community had slapped a barber from the minority community, who then called his friends, resulting in a fight.