ISLAMABAD: Two major mosques in the centre of New Delhi have been served eviction notices by the authorities of Indian Railways, demanding that they vacate the alleged encroachments within 15 days, according to local media reports on Sunday.
The notices that were issued this weekend allege that the land on which the Masjid Bachchu Shah and the Masjid Takia Babbar Shah are located is the property of Indian Railways. The railway authorities have demanded that all the illegal constructions, including temples, mosques, and shrines, be vacated voluntarily, citing unauthorised occupation.
The notice said that in case the encroachments are not removed within the specified time frame, appropriate action will be taken to repossess the land. It also threatened that the people behind the encroachments would be liable for any damage that would occur in the process of their removal, and the railway administration would not be liable.
Northern Railway spokesperson Deepak Kumar confirmed that the notices were issued in response to media queries.
The local managing committees of the mosques, as well as the officials of the Delhi Waqf Board, the statutory body that manages Islamic religious properties, have, however, vehemently opposed the claims.
They argue that both Masjid Bachchu Shah and Masjid Takia Babbar Shah are hundreds of years old historic buildings, and that they existed before the construction of the railway infrastructure in the region.
These two mosques are more than 400 years old and were in existence much before the development of the railway lines, said Mehfooz Mohammad, a representative of the Delhi Waqf Board, to The Hindustan Times. They are part of 123 properties, which include mosques, graveyards, and mausoleums, that are under litigation between the board and the central government. The case is still in the High Court.”
Hafiz Matlub Karim, a member of the managing committee of Masjid Bachchu Shah, has since written to the Delhi government, questioning the authenticity of the notice.
No official signature or stamp was on the notice that was pasted. This appears to be a case of harassment and an attempt to disrupt communal harmony, he added.
The case is part of a wider legal and political dispute about religious property rights and heritage preservation in the capital. The Delhi Waqf Board has once again said that the matter is sub-judice and all should wait till the decides the case.
