9 of 11 Muslim families give consent to shift

Muslim families living in the vicinity of the Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur are likely to be relocated in wake of the state government’s plan to bolster security around the complex. They have been handed over a consent letter by the district administration.

Though nine families in the area (Purana Gorakhpur Tappa, Kasba Pargana Haveli, Tehsil Sadar, Gorakhpur) have agreed to transfer their house and land in favour of the state government, two have rejected the district administration’s offer for compensation and allotment of land at an alternative site.

District magistrate (Gorakhpur) K Vijendra Pandian said there was no coercion by the district administration on the 11 families to vacate their houses.

“The administration will acquire their property only after their consent. The houses are being vacated on the direction of the state government, on the basis of the report submitted by security agencies. The families will be given adequate compensation and the district administration will facilitate their relocation also. There is no religious angle in the shifting of these families,” he said.

A district administration officer said the boundary wall of the Gorakhnath temple runs parallel to the 11 houses located on the south-east corner of the temple premises. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who is the head priest of the temple, stays in the residential complex on the temple premises during his visits to Gorakhpur. “Hence, security agencies are reviewing and assessing the CM’s security during his stay on the temple premises,” he said.

On the basis of security agencies’ report, the state government had directed the district administration to shift these families.

“There is no plan to demolish or shift the religious structures in the area. Strict action will be taken against anti-social elements who are trying to disturb communal harmony,” he added. A local trader, Mohammad Islam, said the Muslim families were settled near the Gorakhnath temple for generations.

“For livelihood, majority of them run commercial establishments in a portion of their houses. If the state government shifts them to another location, they will face problems of livelihood. The state government should also give employment to one member of the family whose house is being acquired,” he said.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Congress members led by UP Congress Committee vice-president, Vishwa Vijay Singh, met the 11 families on Sunday. “We told the families that the Congress will fight for their rights. We will oppose their suppression by the district administration. The state government should adhere to the demand of the families,” he said.