Upper floors of mosque demolished in Uttar Pradesh as Ramadan begins

Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh: At a time when Muslims across India are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, the Yogi-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has demolished two upper floors of the Abu Huraira Masjid on the stereotypical allegation “the structure is an illegal construction.”

According to Kashmir Media Service, the government ordered the demolition within a 15-day timeframe. As a result, the upper floors of the mosque were demolished.

On February 13, Shoaib Ahmed, the mosque’s caretaker, received a notice accusing the mosque of being built without an approved plan. Authorities also stated that any costs incurred for the demolition would be recovered from the Masjid administration.

“This mosque was constructed with the full consent of the municipal board after the original structure was removed in January 2024. The land was allotted to us legally, so it is baffling that the GDA is calling it illegal,” said Ahmed.

Ahmed’s legal counsel, Jai Prakash Narayan Srivastava, emphasized that the land on which the mosque stands is not in dispute. As regards lack of an approved map, a 2008 directive from the Urban Development Department states that no map is required for construction on plots under 100 square meters.

Ahmed clarified that when his father sought guidance from the authorities before constructing the mosque on the allocated land, he was told that a map was not necessary due to the plot’s size.

Critics argue that although Muslims across India are facing a tought time, the community in Uttar Pradesh is particularly facing increased challenges in maintaining their religious sites under BJP rule.

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