Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 5 : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday criticised the Uttar Pradesh government's demolition of alleged illegal mosques across the state and said the government should "immediately halt this", calling for other measures to resolve such disputes while stressing the need to uphold the rule of law.
In a post on X, Mayawati said, "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 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," Mayawati said.
https://x.com/Mayawati/status/2096105110581772709
Referring specifically to mosques, she said they hold an important place in Islamic religious practice and urged authorities to keep this in mind while dealing with such disputes.
Mayawati also raised concerns over the demolition of houses belonging to accused persons, arguing that families should not be collectively punished without following established legal procedures.
"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," she said.
She called for the principle of "rule of law through law", saying both the government and judiciary should pay attention to such matters.
"Therefore, it would be appropriate for not only the government but also the honourable judiciary to pay due attention to this matter," she said, while appealing to people to maintain communal harmony.
Mayawati's remarks came as demolition of an alleged illegal mosque at the Saharanpur Collectorate complex began following the dismissal of an appeal against the City Magistrate's order.
The District Judge's court on September 4 upheld the earlier order directing demolition of the structure. The City Magistrate's court had on July 17 declared the mosque illegal and ordered its demolition, along with compensation of approximately Rs 6.41 crore in connection with alleged encroachment and misuse of government land.
The demolition triggered political reactions, with Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Hasan alleging that she was placed under house arrest in Kairana while attempting to visit Saharanpur.
Speaking to ANI, Hasan said a large police force was deployed at her residence overnight and prevented her from leaving.
SP MP Awadhesh Prasad also criticised the reported house arrest, saying elected representatives have a constitutional role in visiting affected areas and raising public concerns.
Meanwhile, Saharanpur DIG Abhishek Singh said the structure had been found illegally constructed on government land by the City Magistrate's court and that the appeal against the order had been dismissed.
He said additional PAC and RAF companies had been deployed at strategic locations and hotspots to maintain law and order. Authorities were also monitoring social media platforms to prevent rumours, he said.
Congress MP Imran Masood opposed the demolition and claimed the mosque dated back to before 1911. He alleged that the Waqf Board had not been made a party to the proceedings and said the matter would be pursued through legal channels.
The administration has maintained that the action was being carried out following the court's order and in accordance with legal procedures.