Lucknow: A mosque located inside the Saharanpur collectorate complex was demolished on Saturday morning amid tight security, days after a district court upheld an order declaring the structure illegal.
The administration sealed all five gates of the collectorate premises before the demolition and barred entry to outsiders. A heavy police force, including personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), was deployed at the site and in surrounding areas to maintain law and order.
JCB Machines Deployed Overnight For Demolition Drive
JCB machines, dumpers and other equipment had been brought into the collectorate premises during the night. The demolition began early Saturday morning and the mosque was subsequently razed.
The action followed the September 2 order of the district judge's court, which upheld the July 16 decision of the city magistrate's court declaring the mosque illegal. The city magistrate had also imposed a penalty of Rs 6.41 crore.
The dispute began after a complaint by former Bajrang Dal state convenor Vikas Tyagi. A petition under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act was subsequently filed before the city magistrate's court on March 24, 2025.
The city magistrate's court declared the mosque illegal on July 16, 2026. The mosque side challenged the order before the district judge's court on July 20.
District Court Heard Matter 17 Times Before Dismissing Plea
The district judge's court heard the matter on 17 occasions before dismissing the petition on September 2 and upholding the city magistrate's order. Following the court's decision, the administration initiated the demolition process.
Security was stepped up from Friday evening after police, administrative officials and the local intelligence unit assessed the situation and gathered inputs about the possible response to the action. Additional police personnel were also brought in from other districts.
Kairana MP Iqra Hasan Allegedly Placed Under House Arrest
Meanwhile, Kairana MP Iqra Hasan was reportedly placed under house arrest at her residence in Kairana before she could leave for Saharanpur.
Hasan said a large police contingent reached her residence when she was preparing to travel to Saharanpur and stopped her from leaving. She said she wanted to meet officials regarding the collectorate mosque issue and raise the concerns of people in the area.
Questioning the action, Hasan asked whether an elected MP could be prevented from meeting officials over an issue concerning the public. She said elected representatives were chosen to raise people's concerns and that they should not be stopped from doing so.
The demolition triggered political reactions, with opposition leaders questioning the government's action.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said those who do not respect other religions cannot claim to be true followers of Sanatan Dharma. He said interfering with another person's faith was against the spirit of Sanatan Dharma and asserted that a true Hindu never insults or disrespects the faith of others.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also questioned the government's action after the demolition. He asked whether the constitutional right to religious freedom was no longer available to Muslims. Owaisi questioned why places of worship were repeatedly being demolished on what he described as weak and fabricated grounds.
The administration has maintained a heavy security presence in and around the collectorate following the demolition, with police closely monitoring the situation to prevent any untoward incident.
