Unseal mosques, examine documents of other places of worship: Arunachal Muslim body

The All Arunachal Pradesh Masjid Welfare Committee has urged the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) authorities to reopen the sealed mosques, maintaining that actions against unauthorised religious institutions should be fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory across all faiths.

The ICR covers the State’s twin capitals, Itanagar and Naharlagun, and other settlements along a 30-km stretch. On June 4, the ICR administration sealed all “unauthorised” mosques within its jurisdiction after serving a series of notices since January 30, seeking documents relating to their establishment.

“The authorities are examining the legality and documentation of mosques in the Capital Region. The same scrutiny should apply to churches, gurudwaras, namghars, temples, and other religious structures that may be functioning without complete legal approvals or documentation,” AAPMWC member Giah Limpeh Sultan told journalists in Itanagar on Saturday (June 6, 2026).

Resenting the “selective enforcement” against certain religious institutions, the committee demanded the reopening of a mosque sealed recently. It said that following existing laws and regulations is the responsibility of every religious organisation, irrespective of faith or denomination.

Mr. Sultan said that information obtained through the Right to Information Act indicated several religious structures were operating without the requisite approvals. He named a few temples and a namghar (prayer hall for people following Vaishnavism) in Itanagar.

“The district administration should undertake a comprehensive survey of all religious institutions within the ICR,” he said.