Kanwar Yatra 2024: Mosques, mazar covered with sheet ‘without order’, Cabinet minister says, ‘not such a big thing’

Large white sheets were draped over the facades of two mosques and a mazar on Friday along the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar, to “prevent trouble.”

However, by evening, the sheets were taken down following objections from various parties. The sheets had been placed on bamboo scaffoldings in front of the structures, located in the Jwalapur area, PTI reported.

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The maulana of the mosque and the caretakers of the mazar stated that they were unaware of any administrative orders regarding the coverings and claimed that such a measure had not been taken during the yatra before.

Though the Haridwar senior superintendent of police and district magistrate were not available for comment, Cabinet Minister Satpal Maharaj told reporters that it was done to maintain peace. “Any such thing is done only to prevent trouble,” he said.

“It is not such a big thing. We also cover buildings when they are under construction,” he said.

The sheets of cloth were removed by the district administration by the evening following objections, including by locals and politicians.

“We received orders from the railway police post to remove the curtains. That is why we have come to remove these,” said Danish Ali, appointed as a special police officer (SPO) by the administration for the yatra’s management.

Haridwar Superintendent of Police (City) Swatantra Kumar, however, told The Indian Express that there was no order to do so – either from the district administration or the police.

“We have also talked to the party concerned and removed the covers. We have talked to the locals, too. Barricades were being installed on the yatra route, and there must have been some mistake in that, leading to the covers. It was not intentional,” said Kumar.

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Congress leader and former minister Naeem Qureshi said he has never seen such a thing in his life.

“We Muslims always welcome Shiv bhakts (devotees) for the kanwar fair and arrange refreshments for them at various places. This has been an example of harmony between Hindus and Muslims in Haridwar, and there has never been a tradition of curtains,” he said.

Qureshi mentioned that before the Kanwar Mela began, the administration had convened a meeting where representatives from both Hindu and Muslim communities were appointed as Special Police Officers (SPOs).

Shakeel Ahmad, a caretaker of one of the mazars, stated that they were not consulted about the decision to cover the religious structures. He noted that Kanwariyas traditionally rest under the shade of trees outside mosques and mazars, and this was the first time such a measure had been implemented.

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Congress leader and former district panchayat president Rao Afaque Ali expressed surprise at the administration’s decision to cover the mosques and mazars.

“It has never happened earlier. Some kanwariyas also go to mosques to pay obeisance. India is a country where everyone takes care of every religion and caste. Today mosques are being covered, what will happen if temples are covered in this manner tomorrow?” he asked.

Uttarakhand Congress vice president Suryakant Dhasmana claimed that this was a “contempt of the Supreme Court”.

“The order to put curtains on mosques and mazars on the kanwar yatra route in Haridwar district, whoever has issued it, goes against the Supreme Court which has put a stay on an order which asked hotel and restaurant owners and fruit vendors on the route to display their names, caste and religious identity,” Dhasmana said.

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Attacking the ruling BJP in the state, he said it has not learnt from its electoral defeats in Badrinath, Manglaur, Chitrakoot and Prayagraj.

“The message it has missed is that the entire country is one. BJP’s divisive and discriminatory politics has been rejected. But the party is not learning,” Dhasmana said.