The news of a mosque in Koyambedu, Chennai made the news recently. Now, it is back in the news because of the protests and buildup of people in the location.
What Is The Issue?
The mosque named Masjid-e-Hithaya is located in Sector 3 near Seemathamman Nagar, Koyambedu, Chennai, on land owned by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Corporation (CMDA). In 2020, authorities halted the mosque’s construction due to a complaint alleging it was being built without proper approval. However, the construction reportedly continued illegally.
Subsequently, a case was filed in the Madras High Court, claiming that the land on which the mosque was built was encroached upon. The court confirmed the encroachment and ordered the demolition of the mosque in November 2023. The Koyambedu Mosque filed a petition in the Supreme Court against this order, but the apex court upheld the High Court’s decision in February 2024 and set a deadline of 31 May 2024 for demolishing the mosque.
After the deadline expired, the police instructed the mosque management to demolish the structure by 15 June 2024. On Tuesday, 11 June 2024, hundreds of Muslims gathered in front of the Koyambedu bus station to protest against the demolition order, leading to tensions in the area. The police eventually arrested hundreds of protesters.
How Dravidianist Media Shows It
When it comes to Hindu temples, the reportage by any Dravidianist media such as Thanthi TV ensures to paint the Hindus (whether they protest or not) in a poor light. Headlines such as “temple was demolished amidst police presence” are what one can see for Hindu temples. However, the news focuses on the “struggle” of the Muslims for their mosque and highlights it as though the demolition is unjust. As mentioned above, the demolition is ordered by the Court itself. Even before the demolition happens, all this development is taking place for an illegally constructed mosque.
இடிக்க கோர்ட் உத்தரவுவிட்டால்.!!
இந்து கோவிலுக்கு – "போராடிய மக்களை மீறி போலீஸ் பாதுகாப்புடன் இடிக்கப்பட்டது"
இஸ்லாமிய மசூதிக்கு – "மக்கள் போராடினார்கள்"
இடிக்கப்பட்டது என்ற செய்தியே காணோம். ஏன் இவ்வளோ பேர் கூடும் வரை கால அவகாசம் கொடுத்தீங்க??🤔 @chennaipolice_ @chennaicorp pic.twitter.com/nAY8cDc3qa
— Sanghi Prince 🚩 (@SanghiPrince) June 11, 2024
Additionally, one would see police buildup even before anything happens in the case of Hindu temples, however, in this case, it seems that the people were allowed to gather in the location.
An administrator of the Koyambedu mosque claimed that they had formally leased the land, paid ₹43 lakh, and registered the deed. They argued that the mosque should not be demolished as they had followed proper procedures and that the land did not belong to the bus stand. The administrator appealed to Chief Minister Stalin to intervene and provide documentation to save the mosque from demolition.
In the protest video, it is pretty clear that the protestors are raising slogans like “Nara-e-takbeer, Allahu Akbar” and “LaIlaha Illala”. Many protestors were trying to use banners during the protest which was not allowed by the police.
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