Muslims in India living near Hindu temple allegedly forced out of homes

• Several Muslim families living near a Hindu temple in India's UP state have been allegedly asked to evict their houses. 
• Families say they were asked to sign a "letter of content" stating that they were willingly handing over their houses, lands to the govt.
• Those who refused to sign the permit, various tactics are used to put pressure on them.

Several Muslim families living near a Hindu temple in India's Uttar Pradesh state have been allegedly asked to evict their homes, Al-Jazeera reported Friday.

Per the report, the families were asked to sign a "letter of consent" stating that they have consented to hand over their homes or lands to the government. In addition, the letter added that the move was to make the premises of the temple safe. 

About 12 Muslim families live near the southeastern side of the Gorakhnath temple, the report said, adding that owing to pressure from Hindu extremists, many Muslim families have already signed these consent letters. 

Meanwhile, if some Muslims refuse to sign the permit, various tactics are used to put pressure on them.

“The officials told us that if we do not sign the letter, they have other ways to get our signatures as well. We were pressured,” Javaid Akhtar, 71, a Muslim resident of the area, told Al-Jazeera.

The report said that co-incidentally, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath, who is a right-wing politician, is the “mahant” or chief priest of the Gorakhnath temple.