Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 2 : Security has been intensified in the Dalmandi market area of Varanasi on Thursday as the demolition of five mosques, as part of an ongoing road-widening project, entered its second day.
To maintain law and order, security forces have strictly barred public movement in the affected lane, setting up multiple barricades across key intersection points leading toward the demolition site.
The Mirza Karimullah Beg Masjid, adjacent to the Chowk police station, along with four other mosques, is being dismantled as part of the infrastructure project. Four others are Nesaran ki Masjid, Rangile Shah Masjid, Ali Raza Masjid and Sangmarmar Masjid.
The local administration has deployed a massive security contingent in the area, including personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), Paramilitary forces, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), and the state police.
Media personnel have also been restricted from entering the Dalmandi area.
To keep the operations discreet and avoid local flare-ups, the structures undergoing demolition have been covered with large sheets of cloth. The heightened security measures follow warnings of potential protests from members of the local community.

The local administration is also monitoring the entire area using drone cameras to ensure round-the-clock surveillance and prevent any untoward incidents.
The demolition is part of the ambitious Dalmandi road-widening project, the foundation stone for which was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 2, 2025.
The Rs 215-crore project aims to widen a 650-meter stretch of road from Chowk to Nai Sadak to 17.4 meters, modernising the route to ease traffic congestion and facilitate smoother access for tourists and devotees visiting the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
The infrastructure project involves the acquisition and modification of 181 buildings and six religious structures (mosques). More than 75 per cent of the project work has already been completed, and the administration has distributed over Rs 60 crore in compensation to the affected parties so far.