Meerut: A 168-year-old mosque in Uttar Pradesh was voluntarily razed by the local Muslim community to facilitate the construction of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), as per a report by ETV Bharat.
After holding discussions with the district administration, the residents agreed to the mosque's demolition as it obstructed the rapid rail project.
The project is jointly handled by the Public Works Department (PWD), which oversees the Delhi-Meerut road, and the Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), responsible for constructing the RRTS corridor beneath it.
Meerut City's Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Brijesh Kumar Singh, told ETV Bharat, "Both the departments approached the mosque management and requested them for the removal of the mosque to clear the path for development work."
"There is no confrontation from the management or the locals. We are now in the process of deciding the compensation in consultation with the mosque management," he added.
According to Singh, the mosque's management began the demolition process late at night, with the work carried out in the presence of NCRTC and police officials.
"The front wall, including the main entrance, was removed by the community members themselves yesterday. The mosque management cooperated with the process. Since the mosque is situated in a densely populated area, demolition work was initiated at night to avoid daytime traffic congestion," the ADM told the publication.
The mosque, which had been a part of Meerut for 168 years since its construction in 1857, was briefly sealed in 1981 due to a legal dispute. After a legal battle in the Supreme Court, it was reopened and remained functional until recent orders from Uttar Pradesh authorities mandated its demolition.
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