An imam of a Tripura mosque was shocked to discover a packet of meat with a warning letter on Sunday, August 17. Its contents claimed the land belonged to Hindus and asked them to vacate immediately.
The meat and the letter were found lying in the premises of Jama Masjid located in the Tilabazar region of Unakoti district during afternoon prayers. It remained untouched, but then caught the attention of the imam after a foul smell started emanating.
“The imam found meat inside and a letter written in Bengali. It said that Tripura used to be a Hindu state, and the Tilabazar Jama Masjid was built on land that earlier housed a Hindu temple. The letter demanded that the mosque should be demolished,” Saif Ul Islam, a mosque committee member, was quoted by Maktoob Media.
The letter further claimed that the Tripura mosque was constructed 300 years ago. “It did not exist before that time. Now remove it, demolish it without delay. We want Govinda’s abode back,” Maktoob Media reported.
The Tripura police have started investigating the matter. The meat packet and letter have been sent for forensic examination.
As a precautionary step, a heavy contingent of Tripura Police and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) was deployed in the area. So far, no communal tension has been reported, and the area is reportedly calm.
Tilabazar is a Muslim-dominated area but has a sizable Hindu population. Both communities have been coexisting peacefully.
Islam said the mosque was purified by cleaning, assuming the meat was impure and had been deliberately placed to create tension.
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