Hanuman Chalisa-namaz row: Outsiders barred from entering Varanasi college

Amid escalating tensions at the Uday Pratap College here over a mosque located on its premises, police on Thursday restricted outsiders' entry to the campus, allowing only students with valid identity cards.

The move follows Tuesday's unrest after students recited Hanuman Chalisa when namaz was being offered near the mosque. Seven men were briefly detained after the row on Tuesday, according to the local police.

Student leader Vivekanand Singh on Thursday said, "Police personnel are stationed at the college gate, checking identity cards to ensure that no outsiders enter the campus. A group of students is also monitoring the gate."  He added that no one came to offer namaz on Thursday and that additional precautions will be taken on Friday during the "Jumma" prayers.

In a related development, students of the college have formed a "student court" and sent an 11-point letter to the Uttar Pradesh Waqf Board, demanding a response within 15 days regarding the status of the mosque and its ownership.

Separately, Mohammad Yaseen, joint secretary of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, said he wrote to the Uttar Pradesh Central Waqt Board to check the status of the mosque on Tuesday itself.

"The Uttar Pradesh Central Waqf Board has clarified that its 2018 notice claiming the mosque as Waqf property was cancelled on January 18, 2021. There is no reason for the current controversy," Yaseen claimed.

The tensions arose after students protested against "outsiders" offering prayers at the mosque, citing concerns about unauthorised entry into the college campus.

A local official said the college management had reached out to the administration, seeking verification of the entrants to the campus and that police have since been vigilant to prevent further disruptions.