In yet another anti-Muslim move in India, the Indian Railways issued a notification, today, saying that two Delhi mosques, Bangali Market Masjid and Takiya Babber Shah, situated on railway lines should be eliminated in 15 days or less.
The Northern Railway administration has sent notices to the two mosques asking their administrations that any encroachments be removed within 15 days.
The railway administration has claimed that “their land has been wrongfully infringed upon, and they are asking the concerned gatherings to intentionally eliminate any unapproved structures, sanctuaries, mosques, or sanctums built on their property. The railway administration will reclaim the encroached land in accordance with the Railway Act if you do not comply with the notice”.
Furthermore, it said, “the parties responsible for the encroachments will be held accountable for any damages incurred during the process, relieving the railway administration of any liabilities” was included.
The Babar Shah Takiya Mosque is almost 400 years old. Meanwhile, the Masjid Committee has said that these are 250 and 500 years old mosques. They that this Masjid having Hujra, Courtyard, Toilet, Chabutra etc. in total measuring 0.095 acres of land was transferred to Sunni Majlis Auqaf through an agreement dated 06.03.1945 by the Chief Commissioner to the Governor General in Council. This agreement is registered in Additional Book No. 1, Volume 95 on pages 49 to 51 with number 278. This agreement also shows that a mosque with hujras (rooms) and a well and a bathhouse was already in existence at the date of the agreement.
It further stated that the Waqf property under reference is the one duly notified in the Gazette of Delhi Administration dated 16.04.1970. The properties mentioned in the notice are part of 123 Waqf properties which were denotified by the Indian Central Government on 05.03.2014 in favor of Delhi Waqf Board.
It is to mention here that earlier in April this year, a part of a mosque in Delhi’s Bengali Market region was destroyed by the authorities without any prior notification. The demolition was carried out by the New Delhi Municipal Council within the sight of heavy police deployment. The rooms of the mosque, which were destroyed, housed around 125 orphan children.—KMS
