Indian authorities demolish decades-old Muslim shrine in UP
New Delhi : Authorities in Uttar Pradesh state of India have demolished a decades-old Muslim shrine, the latest in a series of demolition drives that have disproportionately affected Muslim religious sites and neighborhoods under the state’s Hindu nationalist regime.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the Baba Faulad Shah Dargah, a Sufi shrine in Moradabad district, was razed on July 7 during an operation carried out under heavy police deployment.
Residents said the shrine had existed for more than four decades and was visited by both Muslims and Hindus, making it a longstanding symbol of the region’s shared religious traditions.
Witnesses said officials demolished not only the shrine but also an adjoining hall during an operation that lasted about two hours. Residents said the demolition took place during rainfall, when few people were present, leaving the community little opportunity to object before the structures were reduced to rubble.
“It was not only Muslims who visited this place. Hindus and people from other communities also came here to pay their respects,” one resident said.
Another resident described the shrine as part of the area’s collective memory. “Many generations have known it as a place of faith and prayer,” the resident said.
The administration has maintained that the demolition was based on land records and legal procedures. However, local residents said the shrine had become an established place of worship over several decades and argued that authorities failed to consider its historical, religious and social significance before carrying out the operation.
Uttar Pradesh has witnessed an increasing number of demolitions targeting Muslim homes, businesses and religious structures in recent years.
