Varanasi: The mosque located within the Udai Pratap Autonomous College campus in Varanasi has become the focal point of a communal dispute. The controversy reignited following Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s recent visit to the college, where he announced plans to elevate the institution to university status, report The Print.
The row dates back to a 2018 notice by the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, claiming the college was situated on Waqf land. Though the board later retracted the claim in 2021, the notice resurfaced last week on social media, coinciding with a Friday prayer gathering at the mosque. This spurred protests by students, who marched to the mosque and attempted to recite the Hanuman Chalisa before being stopped by police.
Nine student leaders were detained, and seven were arrested under preventive measures but later released on bail. Protesters, including both alumni and current students, have demanded the mosque’s demolition, alleging it is an “illegal encroachment” with no legitimate claim to the property.
The origins of the mosque, known as the “Choti Masjid,” are disputed. While the college administration maintains the land belongs to a charitable trust established by the institution’s founder, Raja Udai Pratap Singh Judeo, some Muslim scholars assert that the mosque was built by the Nawab of Tonk during the British rule.
According to Maulana Abdus Salaam Nomani’s book Aasar-e-Banaras, the Nawab constructed the mosque after being detained in Varanasi. However, the college administration has dismissed these claims, citing a lack of documentation.
Student protests escalated last Friday, with participants waving saffron flags and demanding the removal of the mosque. The college principal, D.K. Singh, expressed concerns over the disruptions caused by the protests, particularly as semester examinations are underway.
“The college is an educational centre. We want to ensure law and order remains under control,” Singh said. He added that attempts to construct new structures at the mosque in 2022 were halted due to a lack of proper documentation.
Varanasi Police have registered cases against 12 Muslim individuals for allegedly disturbing the peace outside the mosque, acting on complaints by the college administration. Among those named is Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, a litigant in the Gyanvapi Masjid case.
The Waqf Board has reiterated that the 2018 notice was withdrawn in 2021 and no further claims exist on the land. However, tensions remain high as both Hindu and Muslim groups engage in protests and counter-protests.
