Five historic mosques face demolition in UP’s Varanasi under road project pretext
Lucknow : Authorities in the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh state have initiated the partial or complete demolition of five historic mosques in Varanasi under the pretext of a road-widening project, further fueling concerns over the systematic targeting of Muslim religious sites in India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the demolition is being carried out in the densely populated Dalmandi area amid an unprecedented security deployment involving around 1,860 forces’ personnel. The authorities have also sealed off the area, erected barricades and deployed drones to monitor the operation.
The demolition forms part of Dalmandi road-widening and redevelopment project. District authorities have identified 187 properties, including six mosques, for complete or partial acquisition under the project.
Demolition is currently underway at Langde Hafiz Masjid, Nesaran Ki Masjid, Rangile Shah Masjid, Ali Raza Masjid and Sangmarmar Masjid, while the sixth mosque, the historic Mirza Karimullah Beg Masjid, has also been brought under the acquisition process.
The demolition has sparked widespread concern among local Muslims, who fear the irreversible loss of centuries-old religious heritage and question the necessity of targeting places of worship in the name of urban development. Community members have said that the authorities were disproportionately targeting Muslim localities under redevelopment schemes, calling it part of a broader pattern of marginalization under the BJP government.
The latest action has further intensified concerns over the increasing demolition of Muslim religious sites and properties across India, with rights groups warning that such measures are deepening communal polarization and undermining the constitutional rights of the Muslim minority.
