Protest erupts over proposed Muslim burial ground in Erragadda

Residents of Erragadda protested the government's plan to allocate land for a Muslim burial ground, citing safety concerns. Muslims in Jubilee Hills, where 34% of voters are Muslim, demand a larger land parcel as current graveyards are overcrowded

Hyderabad: The alternate plan of the government to appease minorities in Jubilee Hills constituency by allocating a land parcel at Erragadda for a Muslim burial ground was met with resistance on Tuesday.

The residents of several gated communities surrounding the proposed burial ground on 7500 square yards opposed the government’s move, citing safety concerns and disturbance.

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The locals staying at Kalpataru, Brigade, Vasavi and other private apartments and gated communities staged a protest near the proposed land on Tuesday morning. The local residents demanded the government immediately cancel their plans to hand over the land parcel for a Muslim graveyard. The protest was held for over an hour.

The minority leaders of the Congress party on Monday visited a land parcel at Erragadda and claimed the government had cleared the encroachments and is handing over the land to Muslims to create a Muslim burial ground.

The earlier plans to allocate 2500 square yards of land belonging to ‘Ghairabad Masjid’ at Shaikpet for a Muslim burial ground backfired when the army authorities descended at the spot and claimed that it belongs to defense establishments.

Mohd Kaleem, a local social worker from Erragadda, demanded that the government allocate at least five acres of land at Guttala Begumpet, Madhapur. “There are nearly 90 acres of Wakf land at Guttala Begumpet, Madhapur. The State government should allocate five acres of land for a Muslim graveyard. Small land parcels will be of no use in the long run,” explained.

The Muslim population of Jubilee Hills constituency, where 34 per cent of the total voters are Muslims, is demanding a big land parcel to set up a burial ground. They argue the small graveyards at Bharatnagar, Erragadda and H F Nagar are running short of space.