Muslim organisations Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind have condemned the demolition of a pre-Independence-era mosque on the Saharanpur Collectorate premises, questioning the speed with which the structure was razed after a district court order.
The organisations described the demolition as a serious concern for due process and the rule of law. The mosque, claimed by its caretakers to be more than 100 years old, was demolished on September 5 after a district court upheld an earlier eviction order.
Jamiat Questions ‘Extraordinary Haste’
Jamiat president Mahmood Madani questioned why the administration proceeded with the demolition within hours of the court order.
Madani said the September 4 order of the lower court, according to him, did not explicitly direct the immediate demolition of the mosque. He alleged that the mosque committee was not given sufficient time to obtain a certified copy of the order or approach a higher court.
“The manner in which the demolition was carried out raised fundamental questions about the administration’s conduct,” Madani said.
He also questioned the administration’s role in the proceedings, arguing that since the dispute concerned land within the Collectorate premises, government authorities were themselves parties to the matter.
“It is a universally recognised principle of law that no party can be a judge in its own cause,” he said.
Madani urged the mosque committee to approach the High Court and said authorities should ensure due process when an action could cause irreversible consequences.
Jamaat Calls Demolition a ‘Blot on Democracy’
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind vice-president Malik Moatasim Khan also condemned the demolition.
“We strongly denounce the demolition of a historic mosque,” he said, calling the action a “brazen and unforgivable act of sycophancy and political servility”.
Khan alleged that the episode exposed what he described as a “biased, bigoted, and communal mindset” among officials and called it “a blot on Indian democracy”.
Questions Over Waqf Status
The mosque committee has maintained that the structure was more than 115 years old and existed before 1911.
According to the committee, the mosque was registered as Waqf No. 451 and had appeared in municipal records since 1957. It also claimed that the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board was not made a party to the proceedings.
The committee had argued that the property was recorded as zamindari land and disputed the administration’s claim that it was government land.
However, the district court upheld the City Magistrate’s earlier order, saying the mosque management had failed to establish ownership and lawful possession of the property.
The City Magistrate had ordered eviction from a 315-square-metre plot and imposed a penalty of around ₹6.41 crore for alleged unauthorised occupation.
Azad Samaj Party Questions Court Process
Azad Samaj Party spokesperson Naeem Qureshi also termed the demolition “illegal and unconstitutional” and questioned the handling of the Waqf dispute.
Qureshi claimed that the mosque was registered with the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board and argued that disputes over Waqf property should be dealt with under the Waqf Act.
He also alleged that the administration acted with “extreme haste” and said the matter should have been allowed to reach the higher judiciary.
The remarks came after the Saharanpur Collectorate mosque was demolished following the district court’s dismissal of the mosque committee’s appeal against the City Magistrate’s eviction order.
Akhilesh Yadav Questions ‘Hurry’
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also questioned the timing of the demolition.
“What was the hurry to demolish the mosque in Saharanpur? If the parties supporting the mosque had gone to the high court or the Supreme Court for justice, what problem would there have been?” he asked.
Yadav alleged that the government did not provide enough time for the mosque committee to seek relief from higher courts.
He also accused the BJP government of failing to follow constitutional principles and said respect for other religions was essential for social harmony.
Opposition Raises Constitutional Concerns
Congress MP Imran Masood said the mosque was registered with the Waqf Board and questioned why the board was not made a party to the case.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh also claimed that the land records carried the names of Yaqub Khan and Waheed Khan and questioned the administration’s ownership claim.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi had earlier alleged that the mosque’s century-old existence and continued use supported its claim as Waqf by user. He also questioned whether the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom was being applied equally.
BSP chief Mayawati said the practice of declaring mosques illegal and demolishing them in haste was not appropriate and urged the government to consider alternative ways to resolve such disputes.
Administration Defends Demolition
The administration has rejected allegations that the demolition bypassed legal procedure.
Saharanpur SDM Subodh Kumar said the mosque had been served notice and that the stipulated notice period was followed before the eviction.
BJP MLA Rajiv Gumbar also defended the action, saying the matter had been examined by both the City Magistrate and the district court and that “law was taking its own course”.
