The mosque inside Saharanpur Collectorate was demolished a day after a district court upheld the administration’s order, drawing condemnation from Opposition leaders who questioned the early-morning action and the house arrest of Kairana MP Iqra Hasan.
A mosque located inside the Saharanpur Collectorate campus in Uttar Pradesh was demolished at around 5 am on Saturday, September 5, amid heavy police deployment, days after a district court upheld the administration’s decision declaring the structure an “unauthorised” occupation of government land.
The demolition came shortly after the District Judge’s court on September 4 dismissed an appeal filed by the mosque management committee and upheld an earlier order directing the structure's removal.
The administration had declared the mosque illegal in July and ordered its demolition after proceedings under the Uttar Pradesh Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1972.
The demolition was carried out early Saturday morning, with a large police contingent deployed in the area.
SP MP Iqra Hasan under house arrest
Ahead of the demolition, Samajwadi Party Lok Sabha MP from Kairana Iqra Hasan was placed under house arrest at her residence in Kairana, apparently preventing her from travelling to Saharanpur.
Videos from outside her residence showed a heavy police presence. Her personal assistant also confirmed to Maktoob that Hasan had been confined to her residence since Friday night, with a large number of police personnel deployed outside her home.
Her PA told Maktoob, “She has been under house arrest since last night, restricting her movement, and police personnel were also deployed outside the house in Kairana.”
“A large police force was deployed at my Kairana residence overnight, and I was placed under house arrest to prevent me from going to Saharanpur,” Hasan said.
“I intended to visit Saharanpur to meet officials regarding the Collectorate mosque issue and to voice the concerns of the people of my constituency, but I was not even allowed to leave my home,” she said.
The detention came as political leaders criticised the administration for proceeding with the demolition despite the possibility of challenging the district court’s order before the Allahabad High Court.
150 year old mosque
The mosque is situated on a 315-square-metre parcel of land within the Saharanpur Collectorate complex.
In July, the City Magistrate declared the structure an “unauthorised” occupation and ordered the occupants to vacate the premises within 30 days. The administration also imposed a penalty of around ₹6.41 crore on the alleged “illegal occupants” for unauthorised occupation of government land.
The proceedings were initiated following a complaint by Vikas Tyagi, a former provincial coordinator of the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu right wing organisation.
In March 2025, a revenue official, or Lekhpal, lodged a complaint against Abdul Hamid, described as the manager and imam of the mosque, alleging unauthorised occupation of government property.
Notices were issued to the respondents in April 2025. The mosque management filed its objections on June 11, 2025.
Tanveer Ahmed, the mutawalli, had claimed that the mosque was around 150 years old. The mutawalli is the manager, custodian, or caretaker of a mosque in Islam.
The mosque management subsequently challenged the administration’s order. The District Judge’s court dismissed its appeal on September 4, clearing the way for the demolition carried out the following morning.
Opposition leaders condemn demolition
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former UP chief minister Mayawati criticised the Uttar Pradesh government's demolition of mosques across the state and said the government should “immediately halt this.”
In a post on X, she said the government’s ongoing campaign across the state, under which mosques are being declared illegal and demolished “in great haste”, was not right.
She said a constitutional and secular government has a responsibility to respect people of all religions and protect their religious places. "In any case, it is the responsibility of a constitutional secular government to equally respect and honour the followers of all religions, their religious sites, etc., and to ensure their safety," Mayawati said.
AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi questioned whether the constitutional protection of religious freedom was being applied equally.
“Does the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion no longer apply to Muslims? Why is it that our places of worship are constantly bulldozed on flimsy grounds?” Owaisi asked.
“The mosque committee produced records going back to 1911 to establish its existence. Prayers have been offered there continuously for more than a century. This is the very definition of waqf by user, which is still protected as waqf under law. The Limitation Act does not ordinarily allow the Government an unlimited period to wake up one fine morning and assert possession over immovable property. There was more than a century of open, continuous and public possession? The State cannot pretend that this possession began yesterday, hence the principle of adverse possession would apply even if we concede to the state’s arguments. The mosque came first, the collectorate later,” he said.
He added: “For some people, perhaps the very sight of a masjid causes pain. That is their problem, not ours. Look away if you must. You cannot bulldoze our masjid just because you have an itch. My religious freedom is not dependent on your mercy.”
Bhim Army chief and Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar Aazad questioned the timing of the demolition and the administration’s decision to act before the mosque committee could approach the High Court.
“Now that the mosque has been demolished, the question is: despite the option of a legal challenge in the High Court, why did the administration act with such haste?” Azad said.
He said senior district officials had assured them that no immediate action would be taken and questioned the need for a demolition at 5 am.
“This action is yet another example of the BJP government’s communal politics and appeasement of its supporters,” he said, adding, “This injustice will be remembered.”
Congress MP from Saharanpur Imran Masood also condemned the demolition, alleging that authorities surrounded the area, confined people to their homes and then demolished the mosque.
“Today is a black day for the people of Saharanpur,” Masood told Maktoob.
He said the demolition was not merely about a religious structure but represented “a blow” to the Constitution.
“We will fight this through courts and the Constitution,” he said.
Masood also questioned the legal process, alleging that neither the Waqf nor the Waqf Board had been made a party to the proceedings and that the Limitation Act had not been properly considered.
Aiming at the Uttar Pradesh government, Masood accused it of using demolitions and coercive action against Muslims as a political tool.
“The only ‘achievement’ they have is that they shot Muslims, shot them in the leg, demolished their homes, bulldozed them, and broke down their madrassas,” he said.
“We know that this country runs on law and order and not gundagardi,” he added.
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