A dispute has emerged regarding the proposed statue of Maharana Pratap in front of a mosque in Sujanpur Tira town, Hamirpur district. A delegation from the Muslim community has submitted a memorandum to the Hamirpur district administration, urging the Sujanpur Municipal Council not to install the statue at the proposed location.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad has urged the administration to stand firm on its decision to install the statue at the approved location. According to officials, the Deputy Commissioner has instructed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Sujanpur Tira to investigate the matter and find a resolution. A video of the Muslim delegation submitting the memorandum has been circulating widely on social media since Monday night.
In the video, members of the delegation can be heard stating that the statue should not be placed in front of the mosque. They argue that Muslims from nearby areas visit the mosque to offer prayers, and having a statue of Maharana Pratap in front of it could lead to feelings of animosity.
Rafiq, the General Secretary of the Muslim Reform Sabha Sujanpur, stated, “Beautifying the city is a positive initiative, and the city should indeed be beautiful. However, installing the statue of Maharana Pratap in front of the mosque is not appropriate. This mosque is small, and people from various areas come to offer Namaz on Eid.”
He added, “In this situation, feelings of animosity could arise between Hindus and Muslims. Therefore, the statue should be placed elsewhere. While he has no objection to the statue itself, its location should be changed to avoid any future disputes.”
The VHP has strongly criticized the Muslim community’s demand regarding the issue, stated Panjak Bharatiya, Deputy Secretary of the state wing of VHP. He emphasized that the statue would be installed at the location approved by the civic body.
“There is no reason to oppose the installation of the statue of Indian warrior Maharana Pratap in front of the mosque,” he said. Bharatiya further claimed, “A group of Muslim leaders from outside the state is fueling anti-Hindu sentiments.”
He added that the administration should not back down from its plan due to the demands of the Muslim community and “so-called Congress people who are against Sanatan Dharma.” The VHP leader also asked the district administration to take note of the activities of “Muslim fundamentalists” who have come from outside the state to “create hatred” between the two communities.
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