Uttarkashi communal tensions | Uttarakhand Waqf Board appeals to CM Dhami to dispel fears of Muslims

The Uttarakhand Waqf Board appealed to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on June 12 to dispel the fear among Muslims about their safety in the State in the wake of communal tension in Uttarkashi district.

The Uttarakhand Waqf Board appealed to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on June 12 to dispel the fear among Muslims about their safety in the State in the wake of communal tension in Uttarkashi district.

Communal tension has been brewing in Purola and some other towns of the district since an alleged abortive attempt last month involving two men, including one from the minority community, to elope with a Hindu girl.

"The Chief Minister should give a firm assurance that helps restore a sense of security among Muslims about their lives and property in the State. What is happening in Uttarkashi and some other places is a cause for concern," Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams told PTI.

Also Read | Background checks will curb ‘love jihad’, says Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami

Forty-two shops belonging to Muslims have reportedly been closed in Purola since May 26, when the failed elopement bid was reported in the town, triggering tension.

Posters were pasted by unidentified people on shops owned by Muslims, asking them to leave the town before a Mahapanchayat called by Hindu organisations in Purola on June 15 or prepare to face consequences.

Mr. Shams, who is also a leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said he will soon call on the Chief Minister as part of a delegation of Muslim leaders comprising Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLAs Shahzad (Laksar) and Sarvat Karim Ansari (Manglaur) besides himself, to apprise him of the urgency of the situation and request him to take immediate measures to diffuse the tension prevailing in parts of the State.