AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Following a district court order, the mosque building located in the Saharanpur area of Uttar Pradesh was demolished yesterday, Saturday. The action came just one day after the district magistrate's court rejected an appeal against the previous ruling declaring the structure illegal.
During the demolition operation carried out by bulldozers, senior officials including the district magistrate and the deputy commissioner were present at the site. The administrative complex was placed under heavy security, and armed police forces were deployed to control the situation. It is worth noting that the mosque had been under surveillance and sealed since the previous night.
Earlier, Magistrate Satendra Kumar had upheld the July 17 ruling, which declared the mosque illegal and ordered its demolition. According to this ruling, residents were required to pay approximately 6.41 crore rupees in compensation due to illegal occupation and misuse of government land.
The case was initiated by a complaint from Vikas Tyagi, a former coordinator of the Bajrang Dal organization. He claimed that the mosque had been illegally built on government premises and, in addition to sensitive administrative activities, was being used commercially. However, Muslim parties claimed that the court's ruling only mandated the evacuation of the premises, not its demolition, and they intend to appeal to the High Court based on historical documents.
This action has faced widespread criticism from Indian opposition leaders. Leaders from various parties, including Samajwadi, Congress, and others, described the demolition as "shameful" and an act of using the law for injustice. In response, the Minister of Minority Affairs of Uttar Pradesh, while rejecting these criticisms, emphasized that the demolition operation was carried out precisely in accordance with the court's order.
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