Protests erupted in Shamshabad on Tuesday after municipal authorities demolished a mosque on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
The municipal staff demolished Masjid-e-Khaja Mahmood in the Green Avenue colony early this morning in the midst of heavy police presence.
The incident sparked outrage among local Muslim residents and leaders of various political parties.
A person whose house is next to the mosque, along with some other residents, had complained to Shamshad Municipal authorities about the mosque’s construction.
Protests were lodged by leaders of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and the Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT).
Local leaders of AIMIM staged a sit-in at the municipal office. They demanded that the officials responsible for the mosque’s demolition be held accountable and that it be rebuilt immediately.
Police later apprehended the protesters, who were led by AIMIM’s Rajendra Nagar Assembly constituency leader, Mirza Rahmath Baig.
Muslim leaders have condemned the demolition and urged the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government to catch those responsible immediately.
According to MBT leader Khan, the TRS government led by KCR is following in the footsteps of the BJP’s Yogi government. He claimed that since the TRS party took power in Telangana in 2014, six mosques have been demolished.
ALSO READ: Hyderabad: Masjid-e-Khaja in Shamshabad demolished late at night
He questioned the silence of Muslim organizations and politicians who call KCR a secular leader. According to him, the demolition was carried out by the Municipal Department, which is led by KCR’s son, K.T. Rama Rao.
MBT leader Amjedullah Khan stated that the mosque was built three years ago and that daily five times namaz, including Friday prayers, were held on a regular basis.
According to Khan, Vishal Singh, a local resident of Shamshabad in the area, allegedly approached the court to contest the mosque’s construction.
He stated that Green Avenue Colony was plotted and sold after receiving permission from Shamshad Grampanchayat. The site for the mosque was marked with two plots of 250 square yards each.
Despite the fact that the case was in court, the MBT leader stated that the municipal authorities used demolition to hurt religious sentiments.
