Rights concerns mount as Hindutva group targets mosques, Islamic sites in UP
Lucknow: A Hindutva group has called for action against dozens of mosques and Islamic religious sites in the BJP-ruled state of Uttar Pradesh, intensifying concerns over what rights advocates describe as a pattern of targeting Muslim spaces under the pretext of removing “illegal” structures.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a notice issued in Agra by a member of the Yogi Youth Brigade demands action against 27 sites, including mosques, shrines and madrasas, within 60 days. Copies were sent to district and municipal authorities, urging enforcement action against structures alleged to be built on public land or near roads.
The locations listed include multiple sites across the city, from roadside mosques to small shrines and burial structures, many of which serve local Muslim communities.
The move comes amid a wider trend in states governed by the BJP, where demolitions and land disputes have increasingly intersected with religious identity.
The group behind the notice has framed the demand as a legal issue tied to court directives on encroachments, warning that it may escalate the matter judicially if authorities fail to act. However, community members say the selective focus on Islamic sites raises concerns about discriminatory enforcement.
Residents and local representatives have warned that such actions risk deepening insecurity among Muslims, particularly when religious spaces—often decades old—are singled out in bulk complaints.
Similar drives in recent years have drawn scrutiny from legal experts and rights groups, who say enforcement has not been applied uniformly across communities.
Legal analysts note that while courts have allowed removal of unauthorized constructions, authorities are required to follow due process, including verification, notice, and the right to be heard. In practice, however, such safeguards have come under question in multiple cases involving Muslim properties.
The development highlights how land disputes in India are increasingly entangled with communal tensions, with analysts arguing that administrative actions are being used in ways that disproportionately impact Muslim religious and cultural spaces.
