Hyderabad, March 30: The Telangana government has withdrawn permission to Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) for holding ‘Jalsa-e-Youmul Quran’ at Makkah Masjid in view of the Model Code of Conduct for Lok Sabha elections.
Tafseer Iqbal, Special Secretary to Government, Minorities Welfare Department, issued an order withdrawing permission for ‘Jalsa-e-Youmul Quran’ after Friday prayers at the historic mosque.
Earlier, the MBT and AIMIM were given permission to conduct the Jalsa on third and fourth Fridays of Ramadan.
The decision was made after the District Minorities Welfare Officer, Hyderabad requested the government to cancel the ‘Jalsa-e-Youmul Quran’ so as to avoid the use of Masjid for election campaign.
The District Minorities Welfare Officer mentioned that the Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for general elections to Lok Sabha and by-election Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly constituency and that the Model Code of Conduct came into force with effect from March 16.
The MBT’s meeting was scheduled to be addressed by its president Majeedullah Khan Farhat while AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi was to address the meeting after last Friday.
However, anticipating the announcement of Lok Sabha schedule, Asaduddin Owaisi had addressed ‘Jalsa-e-Youmul Quran’ after the first Friday.
Every Ramadan, the Minorities Welfare Department, which manages the affairs of Makkah Masjid, allots two Fridays each to AIMIM and MBT for conducting ‘Jalsa-e-Youmul Quran’. The AIMIM leaders conduct the meeting on first and last Fridays.
Both the parties use the platform to highlight various issues faced by the community and appeal for support.
In view of the Lok Sabha polls, the meetings this time had assumed added significance.
Meanwhile, The Telangana government has announced a holiday for Jummat-ul-Vida.
On the occasion of Jummat-ul-Vida, thousands of people from various parts of Hyderabad and even from some districts in Telangana offer prayers at Makkah Masjid.
