Tension in Jaipur over mosques and temples, 3,000 police deployed

A massive eviction operation has begun to widen an important road in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. However, the administration’s biggest concern about this operation is the law and order situation.
Because most of the structures on the eviction list are adjacent to local temples and mosques. Unprecedented security measures have been taken across the entire area to avoid possible communal tension. About 3,000 police personnel have been deployed.
According to a report by Indian media NDTV, mobile internet, bulk SMS and social media services have been temporarily suspended for 24 hours in 34 police stations under Jaipur North and Jaipur East police stations to control the situation.
In addition, Section 144 has been imposed till June 22, which prohibits any kind of gathering and protest. This joint operation by the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) and the district administration is underway near the Nandpuri underpass in Jagatpura area.
The one and a half kilometer long road parallel to the railway line is currently only 25 to 30 feet wide. As per the master plan, work is underway to widen it to 80 feet. Around 3,000 additional police personnel, including 12 companies of Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC), have been deployed to ensure security at the site.
The entire Nandpuri area has been cordoned off from all sides. Residents have been asked to stay indoors and surveillance is being carried out day and night with the help of drone cameras. Power supply has also been temporarily cut off in the eviction area for security reasons.

5 religious institutions on eviction list
A total of five religious institutions located within the boundaries of the road have been on the eviction list in this drive. These include a mosque, a dargah, two temples and a Satsang hall.
Earlier, the JDA had given time to the concerned committees and owners to remove the structures on their own initiative. After the stipulated time expired, the administration directly started the eviction process with bulldozers. The most controversial issue is the demolition of the Noorani Masjid.
Last Sunday night, the mosque committee and members of the Muslim community organised a prayer meeting at Musafirkhana on Moti Dungri Road. There they opposed the demolition of the mosque.
In a video circulating on social media, Congress MLA Amin Kagji can be heard saying in an emotional voice, “We cannot decide to demolish the mosque on our own. We only requested that the size of the mosque be reduced from 40 feet to 20 feet, so that there is space for prayers. But the administration did not agree to it.”
Another Congress MLA, Rafiq Khan, who was present at the same meeting, claimed that the shrine in question was built before the country’s independence and the Noorani Mosque was built on land he bought with his own money in 1981.
He claimed that the development fee for the mosque was submitted to the JDA in 1994. But after 2000, the road was marked as 80 feet wide in the master plan without proper verification.
He also alleged that an atmosphere of fear is being created by deploying more police than the general public. However, they claim that they will deal with the matter through legal means.

Why is this road important
The administration’s argument is that the road in question is marked as 80 feet wide in government documents. This road connects Malviya Nagar and Nandpuri Colony with Jagatpura and Pratap Nagar. It is one of the important routes to Jagatpura Railway Station and Jaipur Airport.
Due to illegal encroachment for a long time, this one and a half kilometer long road used to cause serious traffic congestion. Especially if the Jagatpura railway crossing was closed, the situation would become more complicated. Then the residents of about 50 colonies would have to travel a long way to reach their destinations.
The administration claims that if the road is widened to 80 feet after the eviction, it will permanently solve the long-standing traffic congestion problem. At the same time, an easy and alternative route will also be opened for travel to the airport and railway station.