Tensions in Varanasi college over Friday prayers at campus mosque; students chant Hanuman Chalisa in protest, 7 briefly detained
Since last month’s violence over the survey of a centuries-old mosque in Sambhal, there has been unrest in the Varanasi college, where the issue of the mosque inside the campus came back into prominence.
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Uday Pratap College is spread over 100 acres of land and is a renowned educational hub in eastern Uttar Pradesh. (Photo: College Website)Tensions prevailed in the Udai Pratap Degree College in Varanasi this week, with several students protesting – seven of them were detained by police – after a large number of devotees offered Friday prayers at a mosque located inside the college.
Since last month’s violence over the survey of a centuries-old mosque in Sambhal, there has been unrest in the Varanasi college, where the issue of the mosque inside the campus came back into prominence.
College authorities and others attribute this to the resurfacing of a notice issued by the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board in 2018, which was widely shared on social media. The notice, addressed to the college manager, had sought a response to a demand by one Waseem Ahmed of Varanasi that the land where the mosque is situated inside the campus be registered as Waqf property. The college has since said, however, that there is currently no issue pending with the Waqf board regarding the land.
Tensions escalated over the large number of devotees who visited the mosque last Friday. According to protesters, over 600 people visited the mosque inside the campus for Friday prayers this time, whereas typically, the number is only 40–50.
In response, several college students gathered at the campus gate on Tuesday and recited the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’. Police deployed at the site prevented them from approaching the mosque, and detained seven persons, including current and former students, for allegedly causing a disturbance. They were booked on charges of breaching the peace and released on bail the same day.
The college principal said he requested administrative and police officials to restrict the entry of outsiders into the campus for prayers at the mosque. “Only persons with a valid Aadhaar card should be allowed entry. Residents living near the college and UP College students may offer prayers at the mosque, but permitting others could create tension on the campus. To maintain order, everyone must present a valid ID before entering for prayers,” principal Dharmendra Kumar Singh said.
Udai Pratap College is spread over 100 acres of land and is a renowned educational hub in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The campus comprises five institutions – Udai Pratap Inter College, Rani Murar Kumari Balika Inter College, Udai Pratap Public School, a management college, and an autonomous college. They collectively cater to over 17,000 students.
It was established in 1909 by Rajarshi Udai Pratap Singh Judeo as the Hewett Kshatriya High School and was elevated to an Intermediate College in 1921, when it was renamed Udai Pratap Intermediate College, Varanasi. In 1949, it gained the status of a degree college.
The mosque inside the campus is situated on 0.06 acres of land.
The principal said, “We are unsure why this issue is being raised now as the masjid has existed here for a long time and was renovated twice, most recently in 2012. According to revenue records, the entire land was registered in the name of Udai Pratap College.”
He also said that a letter from the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board clearly states that no issue regarding the college land is pending with the board.
S M Yaseen, joint secretary of the Anjuman Intejamia Masjid (Gyanvapi Mosque Management Committee), had written to the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board on December 3, emphasising the prominence of Udai Pratap College as a leading educational institution in Varanasi. He had voiced concerns over the confusion arising from the board’s notice about the mosque, calling it “a symbol of communal harmony on the campus” and requesting clarity on the notice’s current status.
In its response on December 3, the board clarified that the notice issued by then assistant secretary Ale Atiq had been revoked by an order from the board chairman on January 18, 2021. The reply stated, “No further action is in progress in this regard.”
When contacted, Yaseen said, “With the clarification from the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, the matter should now be resolved. The protests arose due to a misunderstanding.”
Former student Vivekanand Singh said students were upset over the large number of people who visited the campus on Friday for prayers. “Since this is a college with a significant student population, outsiders holding prayers at the masjid should be stopped,” he said.
UP College students union president Sudhir Singh said discussions are underway with the district administration and police to maintain order.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Varanasi, Chandra Kant Meena, assured that a police force has been deployed and the situation is under control.
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