Ramzan in Atali in Ballabhgarh: Jats get mosque fans removed

Villagers said portable fans had been put up at the mosque Thursday, in preparation for prayers during Ramzan. But the Jat community reportedly protested and claimed Muslims were attempting to start construction at the mosque. They also held a panchayat, forcing the district administration to intervene and get the fans removed.

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“We put fans at the mosque because it becomes very hot and the elderly find it uncomfortable. We didn’t want to begin construction or do anything that could lead to tension. But the Jats protested and said we were trying to take over the land,” claimed Nizam Ali, a resident.

The Jats, meanwhile, alleged Muslims were trying to encroach on land that belongs to the gram panchayat. “The land where they built the mosque belongs to the village and not the Waqf. There is a temple there. How can a mosque and a temple exist next to each other?” said Sudhir Chaudhary, a resident.

About 2,000 armed men had allegedly set the mosque, along with several Muslim homes and shops, on fire during an hour-long rampage on May 26. Fifteen people were injured and about 150 Muslims fled the village, camping at Ballabhgarh police station before returning on June 3.

At the time, the district administration had assured the Muslim community that they would be allowed to begin construction on a part of the mosque before Ramzan, and that arrests would be made in the riots case. None of these things have happened so far.

Moreover, Suresh Chaudhary, a resident of Atali, approached the court after the Muslims returned, filing a petition for a stay on the construction of the mosque. The stay on construction was extend till the first week of July.

On Friday, Ballabhgarh SDM Priyanka Soni reached the village and convinced the Muslims to remove the fans. “The district administration is focussed on ensuring peace in the village. We asked the Muslim community to remove the fans. The matter is in the court right now and a decision will be taken on it. But we are taking all steps to ensure there is no further violence,” Soni said.

Village pradhan Rajesh Sarpanch said “there is complete peace in the village”. “There was some argument about the fans, but it is nothing serious,” he said.

Faridabad Police commissioner Subhash Yadav said, “The matter regarding the fans was a minor issue and was dealt with. Things are peaceful at Atali. But we have deployed additional forces, keeping in mind that that the month of Ramzan is a sensitive period.”