Authorities demolished a mosque inside the Saharanpur District Magistrate’s office complex in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday after a court upheld an earlier order declaring the structure illegal and built on government land.
The demolition was carried out amid heavy security, with all five gates of the Collectorate sealed and additional police, PAC and Rapid Action Force personnel deployed.
Court Orders Demolition
The dispute began with a complaint filed by Vikas Tyagi, a former provincial coordinator of the Bajrang Dal, alleging that the mosque had been illegally constructed inside the sensitive government complex.
The City Magistrate’s court declared the structure illegal and ordered its demolition, while also imposing compensation of around Rs 6.41 crore over alleged encroachment and misuse of government land.
The mosque committee challenged the order before the District Judge’s court. The appeal was dismissed earlier this week, allowing the administration to proceed with the demolition.
Saharanpur DIG Abhishek Singh said the City Magistrate had found that the structure was illegally constructed on government land and that the subsequent appeal was dismissed.
He said additional security forces had been deployed as a precaution, with authorities also monitoring social media to prevent rumours and maintain law and order.
Iqra Hasan Says She Was Placed Under House Arrest
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Hasan said she was placed under house arrest at her residence in Kairana before she could travel to Saharanpur.
Hasan, who represents the Kairana Lok Sabha constituency, said a large police force was deployed outside her residence as she was preparing to leave for Saharanpur to meet officials and raise concerns over the demolition.
“To prevent me from going to Saharanpur, a large police force was deployed at my Kairana residence and I was placed under house arrest,” Hasan said.
Questioning the move, she said, “Has it now become a crime for an elected MP to meet officials regarding an issue concerning the people of her constituency?”
“In a democracy, public representatives are elected to raise the voice of the people. That voice cannot be suppressed by stopping me,” she added.
The Samajwadi Party accused the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh of preventing Hasan from reaching Saharanpur to raise the issue.
Senior SP leader and Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari said placing an elected MP under house arrest was an “undemocratic” step and alleged that the BJP was trying to create communal tensions ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati React
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav reacted to the development by saying, “Maintaining harmony is the government’s greatest responsibility and also its achievement.”
BSP chief Mayawati also criticised the demolition, describing such action against religious structures declared illegal as hasty. She called for the demolitions to be stopped and said alternative legal methods should be explored to resolve disputes.
Mayawati also raised concerns over demolitions of the homes of accused persons without following due process, stressing the importance of the rule of law and equal protection for people of all religions.
Congress MP Imran Masood Opposes Demolition
Congress MP Imran Masood also criticised the action, claiming the mosque had existed since before 1911.
He alleged that the property was registered in the names of Wahid Khan and Yaqub Khan and questioned the proceedings against the mosque.
Masood further alleged that the Waqf Board was not made a party to the proceedings and said the matter would be challenged through legal means.
Authorities, however, maintain that the mosque was illegally constructed on government land and that the demolition was carried out after the administration’s order was upheld on appeal.
