DEHRADUN: Tensions are rising in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, following controversial statements made by Anuj Walia, convener of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Walia has claimed that the documents of a house referred to as a mosque are “illegal, which is contradictory,” and asserted that he possesses solid evidence to support his assertion.In a move that has further heightened tensions, Walia announced plans to launch a massive movement under the banner of Devbhoomi Raksha. He intends to hold a maha panchayat at Ramlila Maidan in Uttarkashi on December 1.Walia accused the mosque of becoming a “terrorist hub,” alleging it shelters several terrorists and serves as a centre for spreading Islamic jihad and religious conversion.The mosque at the centre of the controversy has been deemed illegal by certain Hindu organisations, drawing sharp responses from local Hindu leaders.Swami Darshan Bharti, founder of the Devbhoomi Raksha Sansthan, an umbrella group of Hindu organisations, firmly stated: “We have the sole demand, only and only to demolish the illegally built mosque.” However, local authorities and officials have maintained that the mosque is legally registered, urging calm and restraint in the face of escalating rhetoric. The situation is part of a broader pattern of communal tensions in the state, with incidents of hate speech and violence recently reported in districts like Purola and Haridwar.
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