In the ongoing dispute over a mosque located on Bhatwari Road in Uttarkashi, the Uttarakhand government informed the High Court that communal harmony in the town was being preserved and that any attempts to disrupt it would be met with strict action. 

The submission was made by Additional Government Advocate J.S. Virk on December 16 before a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Pankaj Purohit, during a hearing on a petition seeking the mosque's protection. 

Earlier, the High Court had directed the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police of Uttarkashi to maintain law and order around the mosque and to keep the court updated on the situation. 

The dispute revolves around allegations by right-wing groups claiming the mosque is illegal, while the petitioners, represented by Alpasankhyak Seva Samiti, argue otherwise. The petition was filed in November, shortly before a Mahapanchayat organized by right-wing groups on December 1 to protest the mosque. 

The district administration, during a prior hearing, informed the court that while no permission was granted for the Mahapanchayat, prohibitory orders were imposed in the area, and the event was allowed under specific conditions. The Mahapanchayat proceeded peacefully under heavy police deployment. 

The petitioners’ counsel alleged that hate speeches targeting the Muslim community were delivered during the Mahapanchayat, in violation of the Supreme Court’s directives. The State’s counsel countered this claim, asserting that the event was conducted under strict police surveillance and no inflammatory speeches were made. 

Meanwhile, the petitioners requested additional time to submit documents to establish the mosque’s ownership under a Waqf or trust.