Gurgaon: A day after the Haryana Waqf board's complain to the Gurgaon administration, Deputy Commissioner Chandra Shekhar Khare today said encroachments from land near around 19 mosques have been removed.
The administration has asked Waqf board officials to take legal action against encroachers who do not vacate its land.
"We have made free 19 places which were found encroached by dust, fodders, sand or trash in Gurgaon. We have suggested the Waqf board to take action against people who are not ready to vacate its land. We will provide whatever help the Waqf board needs. The board can use its power immediately, take its possession and make its land free. We will provide police protection also," said Chandra Shekhar.
The 19 mosques where encroachment was removed are located at Wazirabad, Gurgaon, Jharsa, Naurangpur, Daulatpur, Dhankot, Garhiharsaru and other places, said Khare. The Waqf Board has earmarked 22 lands in Gurgaon belonging to mosques which have allegedly been encroached upon.
Jalaluddin, a Haryana Waqf Board official, told PTI, "The Waqf board has written a letter to the Gurgaon district administration with a list of encroached land near mosques and asked the officers concerned to get encroachment removed so that Muslims can use it for offering namaz."
In the wake of disruptions to namaz allegedly by right-wing groups at multiple locations in Gurgaon, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had recently said such congregations should be restricted to mosques, eidgahs or private places, even as he asserted the government will ensure that law and order is maintained.
Jalaluddin said that the Waqf board in its complaint letter on May 7 also mentioned that people in some Gurgaon villages have encroached upon mosque land. This is the main reason why people have to offer prayer in public places, he said.
Waqf board land are available in Wazirabad, Garhi Harsaru, Mewaka, Fazilpur Jharsa, Narungpur, Dhankot, Badshahpur, Farukhnagar and other 22 places, Jalaluddin said.
The right-wing groups have been saying they would continue their protest if the administration did not stop "unauthorised" prayers at public places. They say Muslim worshippers did not have permission to offer prayers at roadsides, parks and vacant government land in Gurgaon.
