UP: Protests Erupt Over Mosque At Varanasi's Udai Pratap College, Students Demand Its Removal

Student leader Vivekanand Singh stated that if the mosque's land does not belong to the Waqf board, the structure should be removed.

Police and security personnel stand guard outside Udai Pratap College amid protest by students demanding removal of a mosque located on the institute's campus, in Varanasi, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Source : PTI

A large group of students staged a protest on Friday demanding the removal of a mosque located inside the Udai Pratap College in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Waqf Board made a claim asserting ownership of the land of the college. However, the claim was rejected by the college administration.

Around 500 students assembled at the college gate, shouting "Jai Shri Ram" and waving saffron flags. They were stopped by cops while attempting to enter the campus. Tension flared after a few students on Tuesday recited Hanuman Chalisa near the mosque when 'namaaz' was being offered, as a result, the police detained seven persons for a brief period.

According to a report by news agency PTI, student leader Vivekanand Singh stated that if the mosque's land does not belong to the Waqf board, the structure should be removed. He added that students should also be allowed to recite Hanuman Chalisa there, If 'namaaz' can be offered at the tomb.

Heavy Police Deployed

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Cantonment, Vidush Saxena, said, "Adequate police force was deployed at the college gate. A group of students came to express their views, with some of them turning a little aggressive. But police calmed them down." 

Amid ongoing tension in the college, police on Thursday prohibited outsiders' entry to the campus, allowing only students with valid identity cards. The ACP confirmed that some miscreants have been identified and all the necessary action would be taken against them.

In response, college students have formed a "student court" and sent an 11-point letter to the Uttar Pradesh Waqf Board. In the letter, they demanded a response within 15 days over the mosque's status and its ownership.

Earlier this week, discussions on the Waqf Amendment Bill brought renewed attention to the Waqf Board's claim over the 115-year-old college. However, the college administration firmly dismissed the claim, asserting that the land belongs to a charitable endowment, not the board.

Mohammad Yaseen, joint secretary of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, stated that he had written to the Uttar Pradesh Central Waqf Board on Tuesday to verify the mosque's status. "The Uttar Pradesh Central Waqf Board has clarified that its 2018 notice claiming the mosque as Waqf property was cancelled on January 18, 2021. There is no reason for the current controversy," Yaseen had claimed.

Tensions escalated when students protested against "outsiders" offering prayers at the mosque, raising concerns about unauthorised access to the college campus.

A local official noted that the college management sought assistance from authorities to verify the identity of those entering the campus. Police have since increased vigilance to prevent further disturbances.

Waqf Board Sent Notice To College: Principal

Principal DK Singh said earlier that a notice was sent to Udai Pratap College in 2018. In the notice, it was claimed that the mosque on its campus and the college land were donated to the Waqf Board by the Nawab of Tonk, and therefore, the college campus is Waqf property.

"The notice came from Wasim Ahmed Khan, a resident of Varanasi. The then secretary of the college responded to the notice, saying the mosque was built illegally and the property of the college belonged to a trust which could neither be bought, nor sold," Singh said.

He further added that the Waqf Board put in their efforts to build a mosque in 2022 but were stopped by the police after the college administration complained. The principal also alleged the mosque of stealing electricity from the college and using it illegally.

CK Meena, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Varuna Zone), said the issue dates back to 2022 when the construction of the mosque was stopped after the college administration made the complaint.