A mosque has been built illegally at the place where Lord Rama had offered water to Lord Shiva in Banda, Uttar Pradesh. Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal have protested against this and also written a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath demanding the demolition of the structure. The Shivling is located on the Bambeshwar mountain and is known as the temple of Bamdev Bholenath.
The Hindu organisations charged that while there was a lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, the members of the Muslim community secretly built the mosque. VHP Mandal President Ashok stated that half a dozen shrines have also been built at the place. Fatiha is read at the mountain every day and even Friday prayers are regularly organised there.
Hindu outfits unveiled that there was no Muslim settlement at the place, but now they have started living there in large numbers which has created a security threat. Hence VHP officials have written a letter to the District Collector, Police Captain and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to demolish the unauthorised buildings. The letter reportedly stated that Muslims are doing Islamisation of the country.
Hindu groups declared that it won’t be tolerated and if the authorities don’t take any action then they will take down the mosque. They also demanded that those behind the unlawful constructions should be immediately thrown behind bars and bulldozers should be run on the illicit constructions as well as the houses of those who built them.
Chandramohan Bedi of VHP said that the mountain is very old. Some people illegally built a mausoleum at the back and then gradually converted it into a mosque. He added that people were made superstitious and the place was grabbed. He asked how could a shrine be built when there were only stones on the surface. Building a shrine requires excavation, but how is it possible to dig on stone? VHP General Secretary Deepu Dixit mentioned that Muslims initially painted a stone of the mountain with a green colour and then slowly built a tomb on it which later turned into a huge mosque after which many people started coming there wearing skullcaps. He referred to it as a form of cancer which should be immediately cut from the root and thrown away, otherwise, it will ruin the whole body.
Puttan Maharaj, the priest of the ancient temple built on Bambeshwar mountain and the president of the temple committee have also opposed the mosque. He warned that the situation could become like that in Ayodhya and Kashi Mathura. It is believed that during his exile, Lord Rama conducted Jalabhishek on the Shivalinga at this temple and Lord Shankar appeared before him.
