An 18th-century Shia community mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, faces the threat of demolition of a minaret which the Public Works Department (PWD) says falls in the way of the widening of an arterial six-lane road in the temple town.
According to the officials, the minaret of Masjid Khajoor Wali, located at Gudri Bazar of the town, is encroaching upon nearly 3 metres of the proposed widening of the road, Ram Path, that connects the Shahadatganj area on the Lucknow-Ayodhya highway with Naya Ghat in Ayodhya city.
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However, a petition has been filed by the mosque committee in the Allahabad High Court against the demolition notices. The first hearing was scheduled for March 3 when the court passed an order seeking replies from the Shia Waqf Board, Ayodhya District Magistrate, and the PWD.
Advocate Intezar Hussain, the counself for the mosque committee said the mosque is a historical structure and a symbol for the Shia community. “We have asked the court to direct the concerned authorities to not demolish the minaret. The case was last taken up on March 3, after which it was not heard due to paucity of time. We will seek a date from the court soon,” he said.
Meanwhile, mosque caretaker Parvez Hussain has alleged that pressure was being created by the government officials on the mosque management to demolish a portion of the mosque, which is registered with the UP Shia Waqf Board.
“The administration has been repeatedly telling us to demolish the minaret which, during the survey, was found in the way of the Ram Path. Around a year ago, they said that the minaret will have to be removed,” he said.
Hussain also claimed that some shops in the complex were removed and they had accepted compensation for them.
“But the mosque is an old structure and has importance for the Shia community, we don’t want its part to be demolished,” added Hussain.
According to the mosque committee, the structure was built by Nawab Mehdi Hasan Khan in 1750.