Ivan Mascarenhas
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (NM)

Video:

Udupi, Oct 16: Nearly 150 pro-Hindu outfits questioned the authorities of the Gram Panchayath in connection to the ‘namaaz’ and prayer service offered by the members of Muslim Community in a building which had been issued with a stay order for constructing a mosque long ago.

The incident took place on the festive Bakrid day at Nejar, near Kallianpur about 8 km away from Udupi on Wednesday October 16.

According to the reports, Hindu activists had brought a stay order from the court when the Muslim Community constructed a building for a mosque eight years back. The construction work for the mosque was stopped although most of the work was over.

After eight years, first time the members of Muslim community had offered morning prayers in the 'mosque'.

Irked by this, the activists took the gram panchayath officials to task for ignoring the prayer service which took place in the building where the court issued stay order.

The pro-Hindu outfits also claimed that there is no need to build another mosque as there is a mosque located within 1 km distance.

However, the members of Muslim community said " the mosque is being constructed in our own land which we have also purchased. In this area, there are no Hindu families and it is known as Muslim layout,".

"The other mosque cannot manage all the members as the population in Muslim community has grown over the last eight years", one of them said.

However, the leaders belonging to Hindu outfits said that "if they offer prayers in the afternoon and evening, we will block Kemmannu main road and protest”.

The police gathered in large number to bring the situation under control.

Superintendent of Police of Udupidistrict M B Boralingaiah, Udupi DySP Prabhudeva Mane, Udupi Circle Inspector Maruthi Nayak, the Inspectors from Udupi, Malpe, Brahmavara have also reached the spot and intervened.