SUHARANPUR: A mosque more than a century old has been demolished in Suharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, under a Muslim-targeted anti-encroachment drive, triggering anger and concern among local Muslims.
Mosque administrators have established that the Muslims place of worship dated back to the early 20th century, citing a 1911 electricity bill as evidence of its longstanding existence.
They said the document was not accepted as sufficient proof of the mosque’s legal status by the Modi-led BJP government’s Muslim-targeted anti-encroachment authorities.
Following the demolition, bricks and other remnants recovered from the site have been cited by mosque administrators as evidence of the structure’s age.
Pages of the Holy Quran, prayer caps and prayer mats were also found among the debris, which mosque administrators say confirm that the building had been used as a place of worship for more than a century.
According to the facts circulating after the demolition, the mosque was constructed in or around 1909 and had remained in use for generations. Questions have been raised for its demolition.
The demolition has also fuelled a wider debate over the treatment of Muslim places of worship in India, particularly amid continuing disputes over the historical status of several mosques.
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Muslim groups and members of the local community have expressed grief over the destruction of the historic structure, arguing that documentary and physical evidence relating to its history should have been properly considered before any demolition was carried out.
The incident has added to concerns among Muslims over the preservation of historic religious sites and the application of targeted anti-encroachment laws, with people questioning whether such measures are being implemented fairly.
There are reports that a Hindu temple may be constructed on the site of the demolished mosque. The demolition has also prompted renewed calls for authorities to protect historically significant places of worship and to resolve disputes over their status through due legal process rather than demolition.
The BJP government is systematically eroding Muslim identity, historical heritage and religious values and institutions, analysts said. According to analysts, 860 mosques, shrines, madrasas and Eidgahs have been demolished across India over the past three years.
The demolition of the 120-year-old mosque in Saharanpur, the 700-year-old Akhunji Mosque in Mehrauli and the 200-year-old Uzghib Shaheed Mosque in Varanasi are examples of the use of blind laws to target Muslim religious sites, analysts said.
Analysts also pointed to the 1,000-year-old Ganj Shaheed Mosque, which has received a demolition notice despite protests from members of the Muslim community.
They alleged that such actions have been concentrated in states governed by the BJP and described them as part of a wider pattern of measures targeting Muslim religious and cultural heritage.
