Srinagar: Army stops reconstruction of mosque, triggers row

The mosque, located at the fortified Sadar Bazaar of the cantonment, had reached a dilapidated state over the years. Local shopkeepers and armymen prayed there.

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Shopkeepers said the foundation for the reconstruction of the mosque was laid by the army in 2010.

“After laying the foundation, they halted work. We waited for a long time and then made a representation to then Corp commander (Lt Gen) Gurmeet Singh. He agreed with us but before work could be resumed, floods hit the state,” said Hilal Ahmed Wani, a shopkeeper.

When the army did not start reconstruction on the premises, the shopkeepers pooled funds and work was resumed, said Wani.

“Reconstruction work was close to completion when people from sub-area headquarters asked us to stop work. We had built the four walls and were preparing to lay the slab when we were asked to stop,” he added.

The shopkeepers also claimed that the army has made the mosque out of bounds for them as well as armymen.

“They (army) have deployed military police who don’t allow anyone to go to the mosque,” said another shopkeeper, adding that a signboard saying “out of bounds for all ranks” has also been put up there.

Wani added that the army’s decision to cordon off the area has also hit their businesses. “This market is inside the cantonment board and is fortified. All our customers are army men. In their absence, there is no point in opening the shops.”

The Executive Officer of the cantonment board was not available for comments. Defence spokesman N N Joshi, however, said the shopkeepers had not taken permission to reconstruct the mosque.

Rebutting the claim, the shopkeepers questioned why the army then laid foundation for the mosque five years back. “This raises many other questions. There is a temple in the cantonment board and construction is going on there. How is that being permitted? How was the construction of a gurdwara allowed?” said a shopkeeper.