Rumours of a forcible entry into the centuries-old Nawab mosque inside the Vellore Fort created tension in the city on Friday afternoon, even as police department sources said that they had got an information that some Muslim outfits were planning to get in, to offer prayers.
Following this, the police security in and around the area was intensified.
The mosque is under the control of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) since 1921. Further, it had been protected under the Ancient Monuments Preservation and Maintenance Act,1994.
Sources further said that inquiry with the Muslim outfits revealed that none of them had any plan of such an entry. Access to the structure was restricted, said the police and added that the department had strengthened the security arrangements. “We are verifying the information (rumour) that is doing the rounds. Police personnel have been deployed to prevent any untoward incident,” said thr Superintendent of Police of Vellore, P Vijayakumar.
On Sunday, around 150 cadre of Social Democratic Party of India had been arrested for staging a demonstration, demanding the ASI to open the mosque for the Islam community, for worshipping, without obtaining the police department officials’ permission.