Moradabad Mosque Faces Demolition Threat After MDA Notice Over Govt Land Claim

Moradabad: A mosque on Delhi Road in Moradabad is facing the threat of demolition after the Moradabad Development Authority (MDA) issued a 15-day notice to its mutawalli, directing him to remove the structure or face action by the authority.

The mosque, located in the Pakbada police station area, has been built on around 300 square metres of land which the MDA claims is government property. The authority has warned that if the structure is not removed within the deadline, its team will take it down.

The demolition threat has come amid the ongoing controversy in neighbouring Saharanpur over an old mosque on the collectorate premises, bringing renewed attention to religious structures that authorities claim have come up on government land.

MDA cites illegal construction

The notice issued by the MDA secretary states that the construction is illegal as it stands on government land. The authority has also cited the location of the mosque along the roadside and said the structure affects traffic movement.

The notice has caused concern among members of the mosque committee, who say the mosque is old. The committee is now faced with the possibility of the structure being demolished if it does not comply with the MDA's direction.

The MDA, meanwhile, has maintained that the nature of the religious structure does not change the status of the land. Officials say construction on government land cannot be treated as legal and action will be taken under the applicable rules.

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Past actions against structures

Moradabad has seen similar action against religious structures in the past. A mosque-like structure near Siddh Hospital on Kanth Road was demolished with a bulldozer in the presence of police personnel.

The MDA had also removed a minaret built on park land in its Sector-10 scheme and cleared the land.

MDA Vice-Chairman Anubhav Singh said the authority would not allow any illegal construction on government land. He said a notice had been issued in the present case and further action would follow according to the rules.

With the 15-day deadline now in place, the mosque faces the prospect of demolition if the management does not remove the structure on its own.