The issue of expansion of Al-Matin Mosque in Brahmapuri area of Seelampur has heated up again. The Hindus here say that Muslims first come secretly, buy flats, then buy houses, build mosques, and gradually occupy the entire area. Then as soon as they get a chance, the whole community unites and attacks the Hindus.
In the anti-Hindu riots of 2020, bullets were fired from this mosque, after which, the fear among Hindus deepened. Now an attempt is being made to extend the mosque in front of the Shiva temple in Gali No. 12. The work started without getting the map passed, flouting the rules of MCD. However, the biggest question is where is the money coming from for this? The person who donated land worth ₹40 lakh runs a slipper shop. Is it foreign funding that is financing it? This story is not just about the mosque, but about suspicious funding, conspiracy and fear of Hindus. Let us understand it in detail.
It is is necessary to understand the root cause, where the game started
The story of Al-Mateen Mosque in Brahmapuri begins in the year 2013. Local Pandit Lal Shankar Gautam says, “In 2013, Muslims bought a flat in Gali No. 13. Namaaz started there, no one said anything. However, gradually they converted that flat into a four-storey mosque.” Gautam says that all this was well planned. First they took a small space, then kept expanding it.
Gautam believes that Muslims enter the area in this way. First they buy a flat, then the houses around it, and build a mosque. Initially everything seems fine, but later the situation changes. Hindus in the area feel that all this is a preparation to take over their daily lives.
In February 2020, riots broke out in North-East Delhi. Violence in Brahmapuri and Seelampur took the lives of 53 people. During this time, the name of Al-Mateen Mosque came to the fore. Gautam says, “On February 25, a mob coming out of the mosque fired bullets. Video evidence is also available. Suddenly a crowd of thousands gathered. False rumours of setting the mosque on fire were spread. Then there was firing in lane number 13, in which three Hindu boys were injured.”
Hindus say that all this was premeditated. The entire Muslim community united and attacked the Hindus. Gautam says, “That day we understood that the mosque is not just for Namaz, it is a place to show their strength.” After the riots, fear gripped the Hindus. Many families left the area. People started feeling that some big game is going on in the name of the mosque.
The mosque is being expanded as per pre-meditated plan
After the anti-Hindu riots of 2020, efforts to expand the mosque started. In 2023, the mosque owners bought two plots in Gali number-12. Both plots were 75-75 yards, i.e. a total of 150 yards. One plot belonged to Kulbhushan Sharma, which was with his family since 1967. The other was Kuldeep Kumar’s. Gautam says, “First they bought the houses, then demolished them. Now a part of the mosque is being built there.”
The plan was to open a new gate of the mosque in Gali number-12, which falls right in front of the Shiva temple built in 1984. Hindus do not approve of this at all. About 60 Hindu families live in Gali number-12. Hindus fear that if the mosque is expanded, the crowd will increase and an attack like 2020 may happen again. Shankar Lal Gautam adds, “If the mosque becomes twice as big, then think, how many people will gather here. Then who will save us?”
The entire mechanism behind the expansion of the mosque shows a pattern
Now let’s talk about funding, which is the biggest question in this story. The method of purchasing two plots in Gali number-12 is suspicious. The first plot was purchased from Kulbhushan Sharma in January 2023. Syed Mubashshir Hussain, Obaid ur Rehman and Abdul Khaliq made a deal for Rs 40 lakh 70 thousand. Kulbhushan owned this property since 2013, which his father Kishan Chand bought in 1967. At that time, Hindus were in majority here. But in 2013, when Al-Mateen Mosque started in Gali number-13, then the eyes of Muslims fell on this land.
The breakdown of the deal was like this – Rs 13 lakh 50 thousand were given through bank transfer in three installments. Obaid ur Rehman transferred Rs 13 lakh 50 thousand from Union Bank on 30th December 2022, Abdul Khaliq transferred money from State Bank on 2nd January 2023, and Mubashshir Hussain transferred money from Bank of Baroda on 5th January 2023. Only Rs 20 thousand were given in cash. The registry was completed in January 2023. Then, on 20th March 2024, this land was donated to Al-Mateen Welfare Society, whose president is Abdul Aleem. His address is in Nizamuddin in Delhi, which is quite far from Brahmapuri.
The second plot was purchased from Kuldeep Kumar in April 2023. Sameer Ahmed, Mohammad Alfahad and Zaheen Ahmed made a deal for Rs 40 lakh 70 thousand. Here too the pattern was the same. Rs 13 lakh 50 thousand were transferred from three accounts. Money was transferred from Union Bank on 3rd April 2023, from Central Bank of India by cheque on 5th April 2023, and from Punjab National Bank via RTGS on 27th April 2023. Rs 20,000 was given in cash.
Kuldeep and Kulbhushan got a total of Rs 81 lakh 40 thousand in both the deals. The stamp duty on the registry was 2 lakh 44 thousand and 200 rupees. While transferring the land through the gift deed, stamp duty of 2 lakh 85 thousand and 600 rupees was paid, which included Rs 2 lakh 4 thousand for 6% stamp and 81 thousand 600 rupees for 2% corporation tax. In this way, each property worth 40 lakh 70 thousand came in at around 45-46 lakhs. More than 90 lakhs combined were spent on both the plots.
It is being whispered that this property was bought for about Rs. 2.5 crores, since in land deals a large amount is paid in cash so that the taxes are minimized. However, we are currently talking only about the amount that is on record.
Zakat of 13.5 lakh from a slipper shop?
The most shocking thing about it is the role of Zaheen Ahmed alias Guddu. He has a slipper shop in the weekly market. He invested 13 lakh 70 thousand rupees in land and donated it in a year. Gautam says, “Where did a slipper seller get so much money? No one can digest this.” Zaheen’s signature is in Hindi, everyone else’s in English. The matter is not about language, but about his background. How can a person who runs his household by selling slippers give such a huge amount? Hindus suspect that there may be foreign funding behind this. The address of the president of Al-Mateen Welfare Society being in Nizamuddin also raises questions. Is this a big network?
Foreign hand in funding?
Where did the money come from to buy and donate this land worth more than 90 lakhs? It is suspicious that a slipper seller like Zaheen gave so much money. Hindus feel that there may be foreign funding. The connection between Al-Mateen Welfare Society and Nizamuddin raises suspicion. Gautam says, “It is necessary to get to the source of the money. What are government agencies doing? Children are given religious education in the mosque. They do not get help from the government. There is probably no registration either. Then where does so much money come from?”
All these things scare the Hindus living in Brahmapuri. They are understanding that Muslims in any area work in a pattern. In Brahmapuri, first flat, then house, then mosque. The tension of 2018, the attack of 2020 and now the expansion due to suspicious funding is proof of this. In such a situation, if the mystery of funding is solved, then the layers of conspiracy will unravel.
