Sunni Central waqf board wants reconstruction of razed Barabanki mosque

LUCKNOW: Sunni Central Waqf Board (SCWB) on Wednesday expressed concern over the demolition of a British era mosque at Ram Sanehi Ghat in Barabanki on May 17.

It demanded Barabanki district administration to ensure its re-construction. “We hope that the mosque at Barabanki will be promptly re-built,” said Athar Hussain, spokesperson, Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF), the trust which SCWB established to ensure the construction of mosque and other establishments on the allocated five-acre land in Dhannipur village of Ayodhya.

The local administration claimed it was residential encroachment on government land. IICF said that it has also been reported that this demolition was in violation of the stay orders of the High Court order regarding any demolition in pandemic. “In such tough times, authorities will have to step up and energies should be directed towards constructive acts, not destructive ones,” said Hussain.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Zufar Farooqi chairman UP SCWB.

Attended by all 10 trustees, the meeting also discussed the long pending issues like submission of drawing and its clearance, non-issuance of 80 G certificate by Income Tax authorities and follow up of FCRA norms. Hussain said the members also expressed concern at the loss of human life in the pandemic wave and the board has decided to run a fully equipped Ambulance service on charity model for Ayodhya with immediate effect.