Bid to recite Hanuman Chalisa at Mathura mosque foiled

An Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha leader was arrested on Tuesday while allegedly going to recite Hanuman Chalisa at the Shahi Masjid Idgah on the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi complex in Mathura, officials said.

They said seven-eight other leaders of the organisation were also detained in their houses under different police stations of the city.

The Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha's had given a call for reciting Hanuman Chalisa inside the Shahi Masjid Idgah to mark the anniversary of the Babri Mosque demolition.

Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Martandey Singh said the police arrested the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha's Agra region in-charge Saurabh Sharma when he was making an attempt to go towards the Idgah mosque on the complex.

He said the Mahasabha's president Rajshri Chaudhary and treasurer Dinesh Sharma were not among those confined at their homes, and that there was no information with the police about the two.

The Babri mosque in Ayodhya was demolished by kar sevaks on December 6, 1992.

The ASP said security has been beefed up in view of the right wing organisation's declaration of reciting Hanuman Chalisa at the Idgah on Tuesday.

District Magistrate Pulkit Khare had taken stock of security arrangement in the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Idgah complex Monday night.

Senior Superintendent of Police Shailesh Kumar Pandey said that law and order situation would not be allowed to be disturbed.

A strict watch is also being kept on social media too, he said.

The SSP had said on Monday that no new tradition or ritual would be allowed to be performed.

The orders of the Supreme Court would be followed and the implementation of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in letter and spirit would be ensured, he said.

The organisation had given a similar call last year but their plan was scuttled by the district administration.