Kailashahar, Aug 17: A tense situation has gripped Kailashahar after pork meat and a threatening letter were found inside the century-old Tilabazar Jama Masjid on Sunday evening. Huge contingent of police and TSR forces have been deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incident.
The incident took place under Irani Police Station. According to reports, the mosque’s Imam noticed a plastic packet lying on the floor. When opened, it was found to contain pork meat along with a letter. The letter reportedly claimed that “Tripura was once a Hindu state, Muslims did not live in Tilabazar, and the site originally belonged to Gaur Govinda’s Hindu temple. Therefore, the mosque must be demolished immediately.”
The discovery sparked outrage and drew large gatherings of local residents, as Tilabazar and adjoining areas are predominantly Muslim-populated.
Prominent personalities including Gournagar Block Vice-Chairman Mohammad Badruzzaman, Tripura Waqf Board Chairman and former MLA Mofassar Ali, and Tilabazar Panchayat Pradhan Ohiduzzaman rushed to the mosque.
Senior police officers, including Irani Police Station OC Biraj Debbarma, Kailashahar SDPO Jayanta Karmakar, Additional SP of Unakoti District L. Darlong, and Deputy Magistrate Mati Lal Debbarma, were present at the site. Later in the evening, Unakoti’s in-charge SP Abinash Rai also reached the spot.
Speaking to the reporters, Badruzzaman linked the incident to recent similar provocations, including thefts of mosque donation boxes in Kailashahar and Gournagar, and the placement of pork inside a mosque in Udaipur. He alleged that such acts were deliberate attempts to disrupt peace and communal harmony. He urged people not to post provocative comments on social media and demanded strict punishment for the culprits.
Waqf Board Chairman Mofassar Ali said nobody witnessed who carried out the act, but it was clearly the work of miscreants. He appealed to the police to identify and arrest those responsible.
By evening, local youths cleaned the mosque floor with water and bleaching powder. However, the overall atmosphere in Kailashahar subdivision remained tense following the incident.
