UP masjid demolition ‘attack on Constitution, religious freedom’

Saharanpur: The demolition of a mosque inside the Saharanpur Collectorate in Uttar Pradesh at around 5 am on Saturday has triggered widespread outrage, with opposition leaders accusing the administration of acting with undue haste despite the possibility of further legal challenge, according to a report by Maktoob Media

The opposition also slammed that the demolition was an attack on the Constitution and the religious freedom it promises.

The demolition followed a district judge’s dismissal on September 4 of the mosque management's appeal against an earlier order to remove it. The administration had declared the structure an unauthorised occupation of government land under the Uttar Pradesh Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1972.

Critics have particularly questioned the timing of the action. Bhim Army chief and Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar Aazad said the administration should have allowed the mosque committee an opportunity to approach the Allahabad High Court. He also said senior officials had indicated that no immediate demolition would take place.

The mosque, located on a 315-square-metre plot, was claimed by its caretaker, Tanveer Ahmed, to be around 150 years old. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the management had submitted records dating back to 1911 and maintained that prayers had continued at the site for more than a century. He questioned the legal status of a place of worship with such a long-documented history and raised issues concerning waqf and limitation laws.

The action was also preceded by the house arrest of Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Hasan at her Kairana residence, preventing her from travelling to Saharanpur to meet officials over the issue.

BSP chief Mayawati condemned what she described as a wider pattern of mosques being declared illegal and demolished in haste, arguing that a constitutional government must protect religious sites equally.

Saharanpur Congress MP Imran Masood called the demolition a serious assault on constitutional values and alleged that authorities surrounded the area and restricted movement before bringing down the mosque. He also questioned why the Waqf authorities had not been made parties to the proceedings.

The demolition has consequently become a flashpoint over religious freedom, due process and the conduct of the Uttar Pradesh administration.