New Delhi: None of the 20 CCTVs at the
historic Jama Masjid were working and the mosque
officials had recently returned them to the Wakf Board which
installed them at the 16th century mosque.
The security lacunae at one of the biggest mosques in the
country which is visited by pilgrims and foreign tourists came
to light as two motorcycle-borne men fired at a tourist
vehicle carrying Taiwanese nationals, injuring two of them.
The mosque authorities claim they have been telling the
Union Home Ministry, verbally and in writing, to increase the
security at the mosque, which witnessed two bomb blasts in
quick succession on April 14, 2006.
Shahi Imam Ahmed Bukhari had in May this year written to
Home Minister P Chidambaram seeking security upgrading at the
mosque and suggested measures like installing CCTVs and
deployment of CRPF personnel for security.
"None of the CCTVs installed by Wakf Board was working.
We had written to them about it but no action was taken. We
send them back recently," Syed Tarique Bukhari, General
Secretary of Jama Masjid`s Consultative Committee, said.
Tarique Bukhari also said the Shahi Imam had sought the
deployment of CRPF personnel at the mosque as it is one of
the prominent mosques in the country.
"We need exceptionally trained people to man this mosque
as it had been targeted by terrorists in 2006," he said.
Officials of Wakf Board could not be contacted for
comments.
A senior Delhi Police official said they accord high
priority to the security of the mosque.
PTI
