Varanasi, Dec 7: Dozens of students at Uday Pratap College have been demanding the removal of a mosque from the campus. On Friday, the students gathered at the college gate, shouting “Jai Shri Ram” and waving saffron flags, with students attempting to enter the campus but were stopped by police.
Student leader Vivekanand Singh stated that if the land on which the mosque stands does not belong to the Waqf board, the structure should be removed.
The ACP confirmed that some miscreants had been identified and that necessary action would be taken.
Amid the rising tensions, police restricted outsiders' entry to the campus on Thursday, allowing only students with valid identity cards.
The move followed Tuesday's unrest when students recited the Hanuman Chalisa while namaz was being offered near the mosque.
Seven men were briefly detained after the altercation, according to local police.
Besides, students formed a “student court” and sent an 11-point letter to the Uttar Pradesh Waqf Board, demanding a response within 15 days regarding the mosque's status and ownership.
Mohammad Yaseen, joint secretary of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, had written to the Uttar Pradesh Central Waqf Board to verify the mosque’s status earlier on Tuesday.
“The Uttar Pradesh Central Waqf Board has clarified that its 2018 notice claiming the mosque as Waqf property was canceled on January 18, 2021. There is no reason for the current controversy,” Yaseen said.
(With PTI Inputs)