Tension ran high in Jaitanmal Parvati Nagar behind Udyambag industrial area in Belagavi on Thursday night, when a crowd led by MLA Abhay Patil, arrived with an earthmover to demolish what they claimed was an illegally built mosque. The mosque in question was a shed on private property situated in a residential layout in Belagavi rural police limits reports The Hindu.
Mr. Patil threatened to demolish the structure, accusing the mosque committee members of going ahead with the construction despite objections from the local government and revenue authorities. He also alleged that the loudspeaker from the mosque was causing inconvenience to the residents, the Hindu story reports further.
City Police Commissioner M.B. Boralingaiah and Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil rushed to the spot in the wee hours. After a few hours of persuasion, officers succeeded in convincing the MLA to leave the spot and the crowd to disperse. The DC assured that the structure would be demolished if it was found to be illegal.
The MLA expressed his disappointment with the city police, saying he would raise the issue in the winter session of the Assembly. He called for the State government to transfer all police officers who have been in the district for a long time, claiming they were not efficient. Revenue officers, however, stated that the controversial structure was a shed and not a concrete structure.
A few months ago, Mohammad Ali, a member of the mosque committee, obtained permission from the government to construct a mosque on private land donated by a generous philanthropist. However, the district administration requested that the landowner and mosque committee refrain from proceeding with the mosque’s construction due to objections from some local residents.