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After the Qutub Minar, controversy has erupted over Charminar Mosque, another ASI-protected building. The leader of the Telangana Congress demanded the opening of the Charminar in Hyderabad for prayers.
Charminar Mosque controversy
The Congress leader also launched a campaign to sign his demand. Local Congress leader Rashid Khan said that prayers had previously been offered at the Charminar-protected site of Charminar.
The leader of the Telangana Congress on May 31 started a signature campaign at the Mecca Masjid near Charminar and demanded the opening of the mosque in the heritage structure to offer Islamic prayers.
Namaz was reportedly detained at the site by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) two decades ago. Calling for the reopening of the structure to offer Namaz, Khan said it was his (Muslims') constitutional right to freely profess, practice and propagate his religion.
He claimed that prayers were previously held at Charminar, an Archaeological Survey of India protected site, however, Muslims were banned from offering prayers at the site two decades ago.
In a video message posted on Twitter, Khan also said that he would soon present the Telangana chief minister to establish law and order on the issue. "When we spoke to the Ministry of Culture, Kishan Reddy said there would be a law enforcement problem. I will take all the signatures and go to the secular CM Telangana. If our requests are not resolved, we will hold a sit-in protest in Pragati Bhavan. Wrong promises are being made all over the country about mosques, ”he was quoted as saying.
Maulana Ali Quadri also supported Khan in his demands and said that people used to pray in Charminar, but this was forbidden after the person committed suicide at the monument.
The congressional leader later targeted a Hindu temple near Charminar and said it was an unauthorized illegal construction. He called for the closure of the Bhagya Lakshmi temple unless the government plans to allow prayers at a mosque in Charminar.
“We believe in Ganga Jamuna tehzeeb. If prayers take place in the temple, let it happen, but in the same way our mosque is closed, it must be opened and we must be allowed to pray, "he said.
Responding sharply to the signature campaign of the congressional leader, former MLC Ram Chander Rao BJP said the party was trying to "create tension in the community in Hyderabad". He also said that the Congress party had lost its position in the city.
"They are trying to win positions by raking up communal issues that concern the state power, and not the central government at all. There is a mosque, which is a heritage that is closed, and there is a temple where people have been worshipping for several years, "Rao said.
The BJP leader added that the combination of the two issues (the temple and the mosque near Charminar) was an attempt to "provoke social tensions" in the old city, calling it an "offence".
History
Charminar, built-in 1591 AD, is the heart of Hyderabadis. The city's landmark was built by the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Muhammad Kuli Qutb Shah. Charminar, a monument and mosque, is an impressive model that celebrates the influence of Turkmen Muslims in India. It is considered one of the ten best monuments in the country, here is a little about the structure and its history.
Charminar is a square building built of granite and lime mortar. The monument is predominantly Islamic in style, but its ornamentation is also influenced by Hindu architecture. It is surrounded by four minarets at each corner 48.7 meters high. The four minarets are believed to be a symbol of the first four caliphs of Islam. Each minaret has four floors, and the floors are divided by beautifully carved rings around it. The mosque is located on the top floor, and visitors can enjoy a short climb up the 149 stairs to get there.
The reason for the construction of such an architectural marvel remains unclear, although it is widely believed that Charminar was built in honour of the eradication of the plague, which was widespread at the time in the city.
According to Jean de Teveno, a 17th-century French traveller whose story was supplemented by available Persian texts, the construction was made in honour of the beginning of the second Islamic millennium. Others came to the conclusion that the king had built the building on the same spot where he first saw his future begum (wife), Bhagmati.
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