Minister: BJP government ‘funded’ illegal construction of mosque
Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh today alleged that the previous BJP government had “funded” the construction of the illegal portion of the controversial mosque in Sanjauli. “About Rs 2 lakh was sanctioned under the planning head in 2019 for the mosque. Also, I have learnt that Rs 12 lakh was given separately for the construction of the mosque,” Anirudh alleged while addressing mediapersons jointly with Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh here.
Vikramaditya accused the BJP and its associated organisations of spearheading the protest and politicising the matter. He alleged that the illegal construction of the mosque was undertaken during the tenure of the previous BJP government. “Three floors of the mosque were built during the Covid period. Who was in power at that time? Whose Mayor and Deputy Mayor were in the Municipal Corporation? It’s easy to point a finger at others, but the BJP ignores its own deeds,” he added.
Vikramaditya said the issue should not be politicised as it was a sensitive matter and the image of the state and its residents was at stake. “I appeal to the BJP and its senior leaders not to politicise the matter,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Congress alleged that Suresh Bhardwaj, Urban Development Minister in the Jai Ram government, had written to the Waqf Board to appoint a new Imam in the Sanjauli mosque. “As a minister and MLA, it was my responsibility to look into public issues. Some people came to me with a problem and I wrote to the Waqf Board to address their concern. How is this connected to the illegal construction in the mosque?” asked Bhardwaj.
The Rural Development Minister said that the government would soon form a committee to look into the issue of the proper identification and police verification of vendors and hawkers operating in the state. “Anyone can come to the state from any part of the country to earn livelihood. However, the government will ensure there’s a credible process of police verification and identification in place,” Anirudh added.
