{"id":131662,"date":"2022-10-03T17:57:47","date_gmt":"2022-10-03T12:27:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=131662"},"modified":"2022-10-03T18:10:16","modified_gmt":"2022-10-03T12:40:16","slug":"false-claim-of-hindustan-nbt-that-400-mosque-madrasa-operating-without-electricity-connections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/false-claim-of-hindustan-nbt-that-400-mosque-madrasa-operating-without-electricity-connections\/","title":{"rendered":"Fact-Check: Did UP electricity dept issue notice only to mosqes & madrasas for stealing power?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few days ago, media outlets reported that 400 mosques and madrasas in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur were operating on stolen electricity. According to these reports, the electricity department issued notices to those running the mosques and madrasas asking them to install electricity connections within a week. If they failed to comply, action would be taken after an inspection campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n

On September 25, Live Hindustan reported that more than 400 mosques and madrasas were running on stolen electricity. The report included a statement by executive engineer Bhishma Singh Tomar who stated, \u201cAbout 400 mosques and madrasas in the city do not have electricity connections. A list of these establishments have been sought from the police. There is an appeal to all of them to install an electricity connection within a week. If they fail to do so, their electricity connection would be cut and charges would be filed under electricity theft. (<\/span>Archived link<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

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Another report by Live Hindustan dated September 26 mentioned the use of stolen electricity by more than 400 mosques and madrasas. (<\/span>Archived link<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

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Navbharat Times also published a report with a similar claim on September 26. (<\/span>Archived link<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

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RSS mouthpiece ‘Panchjanya’ also claimed that mosques and madrassas in Rampur were issued notices over electricity theft. (<\/span>Archived link<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

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Fact-check<\/b><\/h4>\n

Alt News performed a keyword search to get to the bottom of this claim. This led us to an article by <\/span>The Times of India<\/span><\/a> dated September 25. According to this article, 59 temples and 115 mosques in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur were asked to get electricity connections. This article has been written by journalist Arvind Chauhan.<\/span><\/p>\n

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We saw that Chauhan had called the claim made by Live Hindustan ‘misleading’ in a September 26 tweet. He also shared the list of 59 temples and 115 mosques in this tweet.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\ud83e\uddf5<\/p>\n

Story looks misleading.<\/p>\n

The discom has sent advisory to 59 temples & 115 mosques to get power connection within a week, as they were engaged in alleged power theft<\/p>\n

\u092f\u0942\u092a\u0940 \u0915\u0947 400 \u092e\u0926\u0930\u0938\u094b\u0902 \u0914\u0930 \u092e\u0938\u094d\u091c\u093f\u0926\u094b\u0902 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0939\u094b \u0930\u0939\u093e \u0925\u093e \u092f\u0939 \u0915\u093e\u092e, \u092c\u093f\u091c\u0932\u0940 \u0935\u093f\u092d\u093e\u0917 \u0928\u0947 \u091c\u093e\u0930\u0940 \u0915\u093f\u092f\u093e \u0928\u094b\u091f\u093f\u0938
\nhttps:\/\/t.co\/4oCUSDLQ5W<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Arvind Chauhan (@Arv_Ind_Chauhan) September 25, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js<\/a><\/p>\n

Alt News reached out to Vishal Malik, the zonal secretary of Rampur PVVNL (Paschim Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited) to gather more information on the matter. He stated that the department had urged all religious places running without power connections to submit applications for electricity connections within a week. This includes both temples and mosques.<\/span> It is worth noting that the department did not single out mosques in its directive to install power connections<\/b>. Malik also informed Alt News that executive engineer Bhishma Singh Tomar had shared an advisory on this in a WhatsApp group consisting of local journalists. Along with this, he also shared the list containing details of the 59 temples and 115 mosques, along with their location and operators. Vikas forwarded both these messages to us.<\/span><\/p>\n

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It is worth noting that the text used in the advisory is misleading since it mentions masjids, madrasas, maulvis and the caretakers of the masjid. However, there is no mention of temples or priests anywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

The readers can download this pdf file by clicking <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>. Below is a list of the temples and mosques in the gallery that was sent to the WhatsApp group of journalists.<\/span><\/p>\n