NEW DELHI: Authorities in India’s Uttar Pradesh state demolished a century-old mosque located within the Saharanpur district magistrate’s office complex on Saturday, following a court’s order declaring the structure illegal.
Samajwadi Party Member of Parliament, Iqra Hasan, said police had confined her to the home in Kairana and prevented her from travelling to Saharanpur, where she intended to meet officials regarding the mosque’s demolition.
The demolition followed a complaint by a former Bajrang Dal office-bearer, who alleged that the mosque had been constructed illegally within the district magistrate’s office complex.
The Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad are among Hindu nationalist organisations associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Indian authorities have demolished a mosque in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, following a court ruling. The case was filed by a member of a Hindu nationalist group.
Mosque authorities say the building dates back to 1911. Rights groups are questioning the legality of the decision. pic.twitter.com/yHXkbTFtZg
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 5, 2026
A city magistrate’s court on July 17 ordered the structure to be demolished and imposed compensation of about 641 million rupees ($7.3 million) on its occupants, citing alleged encroachment and unauthorised occupation of government land.
The order was challenged in the district judge’s court, which dismissed the challenge and upheld the demolition order on Friday.
Iqra Hasan said on Saturday that the mosque had been sealed and the area around it barricaded following the lower court’s ruling.
“People wanted to speak to the officials to request some time regarding the matter. People wanted to approach the High Court,” she told local media.
Calling the demolition “shameful”, Hasan criticised the manner in which the authorities carried out the action, saying it demonstrated how “democracy has been murdered”.
“Quick justice is being adopted as the standard approach,” she said.
India demolished 23 mosques
Indian authorities demolished at least 23 mosques, shrines and Muslim religious sites across several states in May-June this year, according to media reports, prompting renewed concerns from rights advocates over religious freedom and the treatment of the country’s Muslim minority.
Among the structures reportedly demolished was a mosque said to be around 1,000 years old.
The demolitions were carried out in the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana, with authorities citing anti-encroachment drives and road expansion projects as the reasons for the actions.
Rights groups raise legal concerns
Human rights organisations have questioned the legality of several demolitions, alleging that due legal procedures were not followed in these cases.
According to rights groups, affected communities were, in certain instances, not given adequate notice before the structures were demolished, raising concerns over compliance with legal safeguards and due process.
International concern
US-based advocacy organisation Justice For All has also expressed concern over thedemolitions, calling for the protection of religious freedom and the equal application of the law.
These cases have added to growing concerns among rights advocates over the condition of religious freedom in India, where Muslim organisations have repeatedly alleged that mosque demolitions, criminal investigations and administrative actions disproportionately target the country’s largest religious minority.
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The demolitions have intensified criticism of India’s human rights record, with rights advocates arguing that the repeated targeting of Muslim religious sites reflects a broader pattern of discrimination against the country’s largest religious minority.
Human rights organisations have questioned the legality of several demolitions, alleging that due legal procedures were not followed in these cases.
According to rights groups, affected communities were, in certain instances, not given adequate notice before the structures were demolished, raising concerns over compliance with legal safeguards and due process.
