Bahraich (UP), May 3 (PTI) The Bahraich district administration has denied permission for the annual ‘Jeth Mela’ traditionally held at Syed Salar Masood Ghazi Dargah here.
According to an official statement, the administration has cited the prevailing atmosphere of protest and public anger following incidents like the Pahalgam attack, Sambhal violence and concerns surrounding the amended Waqf Act as the reason behind its decision.
The Jeth Mela, originally scheduled to take place at Dargah Sharif in Bahraich from May 15 to June 15, was expected to draw around lakhs of pilgrims from India and abroad.
Circle Officer Pahup Kumar Singh said, “The decision to deny permission for the mela was taken to maintain peace and security, given the current circumstances.” City Magistrate Shalini Prabhakar added that reports were sought from various officials. “All of them indicated that due to law and order concerns, it was not appropriate to recommend or permit the fair now. The mela manager has been informed of this decision,” said Prabhakar.
The mela held in the name of Syed Salar Masood Ghazi has been opposed by Hindu organisations for some time. For several years, these organisations have regarded Maharaja Suheldev as their icon, while viewing his adversary Ghazi as an invader.
These organisations refer the fair ground as Surya Kund.
During a visit to Bahraich on March 20 this year, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had praised the bravery of Maharaja Suheldev and stated that “glorifying the invader (Ghazi) means strengthening the foundation of treason. Independent India cannot accept any such traitor.” The Sambhal administration had also recently denied permission for the ‘Neja Mela,’ which was to be held in the name of Ghazi.
On March 23, the fair management committee had abruptly postponed the auction of contracts for the Jeth Mela, raising doubts about the event’s occurrence. However, the auction was later completed on March 27, leading to speculation that the fair would proceed.
Nevertheless, Hindu organisations continued to demand that the fair be stopped. PTI COR CDN RUK RUK
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