Mayawati opposes mosque demolitions in UP; urges state govt to follow due process

New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo, Mayawati, on Saturday criticised the ongoing demolition of illegal mosques in Uttar Pradesh, including the recent demolition of a mosque in Saharanpur, and urged the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath government to immediately halt such action.

Taking to social media platform X, Mayawati said that the government’s campaign of declaring mosques illegal in haste and subsequently demolishing them was “not right”. She called for alternative measures to resolve such disputes and prevent situations from turning negative.

“The ongoing government campaign in the entire state of Uttar Pradesh, including the mosque in Saharanpur district, which daily declares mosques illegal in great haste and proceeds to demolish them, is not right. The government should immediately halt this and certainly adopt other measures to resolve the issue in order to avoid such negative situations,” she said.

The BSP chief stressed that 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. In the Islamic faith, mosques are a primary and integral part of daily worship, indeed offering prayers several times a day in congregation. Keeping this in mind and in accordance with Indian traditions, it is essential to accord them respect in the interest of the nation and the broader public good,” she said.

Mayawati further said that people are greatly disturbed by actions that demolish the house of any accused without proper adherence to rules and laws.

“At the same time, people are greatly disturbed by actions that demolish the house of any accused without proper adherence to rules and laws, thereby collectively punishing and rendering homeless their entire family. In such circumstances, conduct like that of the BSP. government—upholding “the rule of law through law”—is necessary,” she stated.

Mayawati further said that it it would be appropriate for not only the government but also the honourable judiciary to pay due attention to this matter.

“Therefore, it would be appropriate for not only the government but also the honourable judiciary to pay due attention to this matter. However, in such situations, all people should certainly maintain a harmonious environment, and this is also an appeal from the party,” she added.

The administration on Saturday demolished an illegal mosque located within the Collectorate complex in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, after the Muslim side’s appeal was rejected by the court.

Samajwadi Party MP, Iqra Hasan, was scheduled to travel to Saharanpur on Saturday morning, but she was placed under house arrest before she could leave. A large police contingent has been deployed outside her residence.

The development has further intensified the political debate in western Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking to IANS, Congress MP Imran Masood said, “Look, it’s not just about the mosque. It’s not just the mosque that has been affected; the law of the country and the Constitution are being violated. You cannot prove that the land belongs to you. Based on the Khasra records, you have claimed that this is government collectorate land. But even today, the collectorate land is recorded in the names of Waheed Khan and Yakub Khan, within whose zamindari the mosque was built. It is still registered in their names.

“The mosque is registered with the Waqf Board, but you did not make the Waqf Board a party. As far as Waqf by User is concerned, I was a member of the JPC, and Waqf by User establishes that it is a mosque. There are bills for it, prayers have been continuously offered there, and all these activities have been taking place.”

He further said, “That mosque has been there for the last 70 to 80 years. You had passed an order, and then the District Court passed its order within just one month. The appeal was heard and rejected. You neither listened to us nor gave us time. It is our fundamental right to raise this issue before a higher court, but you did not give us any time.”

IANS