Saharanpur mosque demolition: ‘Why action at 5am?’ Owaisi, Akhilesh question UP govt | India News
NEW DELHI: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday questioned the Uttar Pradesh government over the early-morning demolition of an allegedly illegal mosque inside the Saharanpur district collectorate complex.“The fact that they cordoned off the area and demolished the mosque at 5am proves that the BJP’s Yogi government did not want the matter to reach a higher court because they were in the wrong… This demonstrates that the BJP, the prime minister, and the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh harbour a hatred for the very word ‘mosque’. That is why the mere sight of a mosque triggers fear in their hearts and minds… The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and the BJP party itself are effectively dismantling the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion specifically for Muslims,” news agency ANI quoted Owaisi saying.Assuring legal assistance to the mosque authorities, Owaisi said, “If Yogi Adityanath and the BJP believe they will gain electoral advantage by flouting the law and conspiring to tear the Constitution to shreds, by trampling upon fundamental rights, they are mistaken… I appeal to the mosque’s management committee to approach the high court or the Supreme Court. We stand ready to provide any legal assistance required… Divine justice will prevail, and they will have to pay the price for this, both constitutionally and legally.”SP MP Akhilesh Yadav also questioned the government’s decision, arguing that the matter could have been challenged before a higher court.“Could justice not have been found in the high court? Could they not have appealed to the Supreme Court? Officials colluded at the government’s behest to execute this action specifically to prevent them from securing justice in a higher court… You are snatching away people’s right to justice; that is why I said there are only a hundred days left,” he said.“Those who do not respect other religions can never be Sanatanis. Those who trifle with the faith of others can never be Sanatanis. A true Hindu can never insult another; this is what we have learned in ‘Sanatan Dharma’… True Sanatanis are people who cherish harmony; harmony should be the government’s highest priority. Can anyone tell me why this is happening? It is happening because they were caught stealing funds meant for Lord Shri Ram... Everyone knows that members of the BJP were implicated. The move to form an SIT and send people to jail stripped them of their cover; the public now realizes what kind of people they are. That is why they are deliberately giving it a communal angle,” he added.
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The mosque was demolished early Saturday after a district court on September 2 rejected the mosque committee’s appeal against an earlier demolition order. The collectorate complex was turned into a fortress for the operation, with all five entrances closed and the general public, including lawyers, barred from entering.Five companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary and Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed at the site, while police conducted foot patrols and flag marches in sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incident.According to officials, the structure was declared illegal by the Saharanpur city magistrate on July 16, 2026, following a petition filed in 2025 by Bajrang Dal regional convener Vikas Tyagi. The mosque committee subsequently challenged the order before the district court, which rejected its appeal on September 2.Saharanpur Range DIG Abhishek Singh said the demolition cleared government land of encroachment and appealed to people to maintain peace and ignore rumours.
