Delhi Minorities Commission forms committee to probe BJP MP's charge of mosques on govt land

The Delhi's Minorities Commission has set up a five-member fact-finding committee to probe West Delhi BJP MP Parvesh Verma's claims that mosques are "mushrooming" on government land in the city.

Verma recently wrote a letter to the Lt Governor Anil Baijal claiming there were around 100 such mosques located on government land and roadside and had sought action in this regard.

The fact finding committee formed by Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) will be headed by social activist Owais Sultan Khan.

"Delhi Minorities Commission has set up a fact-finding committee to probe the claim of the BJP MP from West Delhi, Parvesh Verma, about mushrooming of mosques on government land in Delhi, especially in his constituency.

"Another BJP MP from Delhi Manoj Tiwari has made similar allegation about other areas of Delhi," said DMC chairman Zafarul Islam Khan.

Members of the fact finding committee are Gurmindar Singh Matharu, Dr Denzil Fernandes, Ankur Otto and Raees Ahmad.

The committee will visit various areas, specially West Delhi and complete its report within ten days, Khan said.

"Illegal construction on government land is an old problem in Delhi but making it an issue of a certain religious community is wrong," he said.

The way this issue has been raised it appears to be an effort to build an atmosphere "against a certain community" which is not acceptable, he added.