An under-construction mosque in Bhojpur village, Nakur block of Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district, was demolished by the Zila Panchayat administration on May 29, reportedly due to lack of permission and an approved map.
Mosque demolished after halt order ignored: Officials
According to the district administration, local police were alerted about the mosque’s construction a few days before the demolition. The station house officer (SHO) of Chilkana reportedly visited the site and stopped the work, citing a lack of proper authorisation.
Authorities claimed that construction resumed despite the warning, prompting the demolition to proceed under tight police security.
“In 2023, two brothers donated the land to support the local community, following which a temporary setup with tin shades was arranged for namaz. The mosque’s construction began nearly a year ago, and the ground floor was still under development when it was torn down,” zila panchayat board member Majid Ali told Maktoob Media
No prior notice before demolition, alleges Congress MP
Reacting to the demolition, Saharanpur Congress MP Imran Masood alleged that the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) had not issued any prior notice. “We will challenge the demolition action in both the Supreme Court and High Court on grounds of procedural violations,” he told local reporters.
But SDM Subodh Kumar insists that the mosque construction is illegal. In a media statement, he said, “Permission for the mosque construction was not obtained from the authorities, and therefore the construction was illegal. The authorities had served them notice to stop the construction, but they did not comply. On May 29, the zila panchayat, with the help of the police, demolished the structure.”
Ongoing construction could disturb peace, create tensions: SHO
On May 7, the sub-divisional magistrate of Sadar had issued a notice to 11 residents of Bhojpur Taga village based on a report from the Chilkana SHO. The notice summoned them to explain why they should not face penalties for the mosque’s construction.
As per the SDM’s notice, the SHO had reported that the ongoing construction could disturb the peace and potentially create serious tensions in the area. The SDM warned that the individuals would be charged under BNSS Sections 126, 135, and 170 if they failed to respond satisfactorily.
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