WATCH: Row Erupts After Mosques, Mazar Along Kanwar Yatra Route In Haridwar Covered Up With Cloth

A row erupted on Friday after the facades of two mosques and a mazar along the Kanwar Yatra route in Haridwar, Uttarakhand were covered up with white sheets tp "maintain peace" and "prevent trouble".

Kanwar Yatra 2024: A controversy erupted on Friday after some mosques and a Mazar (Muslim shrine), along the Kanwar Yatra route in Haridwar city of Uttarakhand, were covered up with large sheets of white cloth by the local administration to “prevent trouble”.

However, the coverings were later removed in the evening following outrage and objections from several quarters. Visuals shared on social media sites showed white sheets hung on bamboo scaffoldings in front of two mosques and a Mazar in Jwalapur area of Haridwar.

VIDEO | #Uttarakhand: Curtains installed outside a mosque and a ‘mazaar’ in Ram Nagar Colony and Durga Chowk respectively along the ‘#Kanwar‘ route in Haridwar by the local administration.

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/dYtv2gd2YS

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 26, 2024

‘For peace’

Defending the move, Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj said it was done only to “maintain peace” and “prevent trouble”. “It is not such a big thing. We also cover buildings when they are under construction,” the Minister said.

Caretakers, cleric not informed

Meanwhile, the mosque’s maulana (cleric) and the mazar’s caretakers said they were not aware of any administrative order in this regard and claimed this was for the first time that such a step had been taken during the yatra.

Shakeel Ahmad, one of the mazar’s caretakers, said the caretakers were not informed about the administration’s decision to cover up the religious structure, adding that this is the first time such a step was taken.

Talking to news agency PTI, Ahmad said Kanwariyas often rest under the shade of trees outside mosques and mazars and there is never any trouble as they are always respectful.

Later, the coverings were removed by the district administration by the evening following objections from various quarters, 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, a special police officer (SPO) deputed by the administration for the yatra’s management.

‘Surprising’, never been done before, says Congress

The controversial move also invoked a reaction from the local Congress leadership who termed it as “surprising” and claimed they have never witnessed such a thing in their lives.

“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,” said Congress leader and former minister Naeem Qureshi.

Qureshi said before the Kanwar Yatra started, the administration had held a meeting and members from both the Hindu and Muslim communities were made SPOs.

Another Congress leader, Rao Afaque Ali, termed the administration’s decision to cover mosques and mazars as “surprising”, stating that some Kanwariyas also pay obeisance at local mosques during the Yatra.

“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,” Ali, a former district panchayat president, said.

“Today mosques are being covered, what will happen if temples are covered in this manner tomorrow?” he asked.

(With PTI inputs)