Surat: The making of a Masjid in a house at a Hindu populated residential society of Moragam at Hazira in Surat has resulted in disputes.

The residents of Shiv Shakti society have alleged that the Masjid was set up without informing them. The house was earlier bought by a Hindu person and that person then gave that property to a Muslim, they alleged. It was then registered in the waqf and a masjid was set up in it. The Muslims working in the surrounding companies started arriving there for Namaz in large numbers, they alleged. The residents of the society started Ram Dhoon at the time of Namaz on Friday as a protest. Several Hindu and Muslim leaders of Surat and south Gujarat intervened in this issue.

A social worker Kaushik Rana said, “A Muslim person had bought the house in Shiv Shakti Nagar in the name of a Hindu. Now Madrassa and Masjid are developed there. Maulana later submitted the certificates in the police station without informing the society residents. The controversy had arisen after the residents learnt about masjid. The Hindu bodies will collaboratively challenge the permission for masjid in Waqf board tribunal and issue of madrassa.”

The former councilor of congress party Aslam Cyclewala said, “The namaz has been performed at Shiv Shakti Nagar society since 2015. This place is owned by a Muslim. The controversy for this place occurred in 2017. The Hindu families living in the society had protested two days ago when the workers working in the companies of Hazira and other muslims arrived there on Friday for namaz. The reconciliation from both sides was done after the issue reached the police station. The muslim family living in the society has registered the property in waqf board for masjid. The assurance has been given to the residents of the society that outsiders would not come there for namaz, due to the covid-19 pandemic. The Hindu families living in the society have alleged that incidents of teasing of Hindu girls have happened as the people from outside come there for namaz. However, I don’t know what the fact is.”