NEW DELHI: District magistrates (DMs) have started inquiring into BJP MP Parvesh Verma’s claims about illegal mosques, graveyards, and madrasas being built on government land in west Delhi.
Delhi government officials privy to the development said that as directed by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, the DMs, particularly in the west, northwest, and north districts, had been asked to conduct a probe and submit a report.
“The revenue department has also written to the Delhi Wakf Board (DWB) to send a detailed status report about the mosques, graveyards, and mazars etc, which were mentioned in the list handed over by Verma. The board will tell the department whether those religious buildings are registered with it or have been included in the gazette notification of DWB,” said a senior official.
On June 18, Verma wrote to Baijal seeking an inquiry into the “mushrooming of mosques on government land” in the national capital. Later, he submitted a list of 54 mosques, graveyards, and madrasas that had been allegedly built on government land in an unauthorised manner.
The official said the DMs were likely to submit their reports next week.“The revenue department got the direction from the chief secretary, who had received Verma’s list through the L-G, which have been forwarded to all DMs in Delhi. However, the inquiry will be restricted only to mosques, graveyards, mazars, and madrasas in three districts comprising west Delhi,” said an official.
After Verma made the claim, the Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) set up a five-member panel to look into his allegations. The panel submitted its report on July 30, dismissing the BJP leader’s claim.
Noting that his assertion was false and baseless, the panel remarked in its 169-page report: “None of the names of masjids, mazars, madrasa, or graveyards were found to be illegally built or encroached on the government land as claimed by the MP.”
Zafarul Islam Khan, chairman of the Minorities Commission, said that the committee had given eight recommendations, including registration of a complaint, and the commission would take appropriate action.
Responding to the DMC report, Verma said that the commission had no locus standi and power to investigate the matter.
Officials associated with the inquiry into the matter said that the DMs were scrutinising the status of the land on which religious structures had come up, and they would not refer to the commission’s report.