A local group called the 'Arunachal Pradesh Indigenous Youth Organisation' (APIYO) called for a bandh or hartal recently claiming that those mosques and madrasas were illegally built in the Itanagar capital without proper permission.
They also demanded their demolition and the eviction of illegal settlers.
Responding to the call hurriedly, the BJP-led state government and the district administration took swift action. They stated that 15 mosques in Itanagar were built without valid legal permits and documents. Consequently, the administration sealed all 15 mosques.
Local Muslim organisations expressed deep concern and anger over the incident. The 'All Arunachal Pradesh Mosque Welfare Committee' (AAPMWC) demanded the immediate reopening of the mosques. They argued that if the legality of religious structures is to be verified, the rules should apply equally to all religions, including temples and churches, rather than targeting just one community.
Giyah Limpeh Sultan, a member of the AAPMWC, said, "If the administration checks the legitimacy and documents of the mosque, then the same criteria should be applied to the religious institutions of all other communities as well."
Citing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, he said many other churches, gurudwaras, namghars, and temples have been operating in the capital for a long time without any legal approval. However, the administration is deliberately creating this pressure by targeting only the places of worship of Muslims.
The committee leaders also made it clear that they are not against the law, but are strongly opposed to such discriminatory treatment toward just one community.
END/ASA
