High Court stay expired: UP administration demolishes mosque
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Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh administration demolished Madani Masjid on Sunday as the High Court stay order expired. Madani Masjid, located in Hata Nagar, was felled using several bulldozers and amid the presence of a huge police force and BSF, Saisat reported.
SP Kasya Kundan Singh was also present at the scene.
It was on December 19, 2024, that local officials and police inspected the Masjid over encroachment claims. According to their survey, the Masjid was built on 30 decimals of land, while the Muslim community bought a 32-decimal plot 15 years ago to build the structure. However, the survey report claimed that the mosque also occupied 4 decimals of Nagar Palika land and one 1 decimal of public land adjacent to its 30 decimals.
Following the survey and report, the distriction regime issued official notices to the mosque’s representatives and demanded the required documents and maps that proved the construction of the mosque. They also gave a 15-day deadline to furnish the above and warned that if they were not delivered in time, legal action would be initiated.
The mosque authorities were unable to furnish the documents, and the administration proceeded with demolition.
The authorities claimed that they followed only legal procedures since the stay expired and that the mosque representatives did not furnish the documents sought.
According to Siasat, the mosque has been operative for more than two decades. It has been an Islamic teaching centre and zonal office of the Tabilighi Jamaat in eastern UP.
In December last year, Yogi Adityanath’s BJP-ruled state demolished a 180-year-old mosque in Fatehpur district. The historic Noori Mosque's rear portion is claimed to be obstructing the proposed widening of the Banda Bahraich road (State Highway-13).