NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Wednesday sealed a multistorey mosque in the city’s Sheetla Mata Colony as part of its sealing drive against illegal structures within 300 metres of an Indian Air Force (IAF) ammunition depot, a week after a Hindu outfit raised an objection to the use of loudspeakers at the mosque.
The step was taken in accordance with the order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court that prohibits new construction within 300 metres of the IAF ammunition depot, according to a statement issued by the corporation. “Eleven illegal structures within 300 metres of the ammunition depot have been sealed today. Despite repeated directions from the administration, constructions were identified ongoing at few sites,” the corporation said in a tweet.
The Muslim community, however, has claimed that the step was taken under pressure from the Hindu outfit, though the community had agreed to keep the volume of the loudspeakers low, as asked by the station house officer of the Sector 5 police station a week ago.
On September 6, representatives of both the communities were called following a protest by a group of Hindus against the use of loudspeakers at the mosque. Haji Shehzad Khan, chairman of Muslim Ekta Manch, said that they met the deputy commissioner on Thursday over the issue and filed a police complaint about a group of Hindus raising slogans outside the mosque on Wednesday night. However, representatives of the Hindu outfit said they could not meet the commissioner as he was busy in meetings.