Protests force UP govt to withdraw eviction notice to 1,000-year-old mosque
New Delhi,: Strong protests and intervention by Muslim leaders have forced the UP government to withdraw its eviction notice on behalf of its railway to the historic Ganj Shaheedan Masjid in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, giving temporary relief to the 1,000-year-old mosque.
According to Kashmir Media Service, railway officials had pasted a notice on June 12 at the mosque near Kashi Railway Station, directing occupants to vacate by June 20. The notice claimed the mosque was “illegally built on railway land” and was obstructing the Rs 336-crore Kashi Railway Station Redevelopment Project. It warned that if the structure was not removed by the deadline, demolition would proceed.
Station Superintendent Arpit Gupta said the land around Kashi station needed to be cleared of “encroachments” for the expansion work.
The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee (AIMC), which manages the mosque, rejected the claim. Committee Secretary Mohammad Yasin said the notice was invalid as it carried no date, signature or logo. Joint Secretary S M Yaseen said the court case cited by Railways pertained to a different piece of land and not the mosque.
The committee asserted that Ganj Shaheedan Masjid was established around 1034 AD, centuries before the railways, and is registered with the Waqf Board. It appears in revenue settlement maps of 1883-84 and in a 1980 map. Yasin said Railways had earlier submitted an affidavit acknowledging Muslim ownership. The notice triggered panic in the area, with residents fearing demolition of mosques, mazars and madrasas amid ongoing anti-encroachment drives in Uttar Pradesh.
On June 18-19, a delegation led by Mufti Maulana Abdul Batin Nomani and AIMC leaders met Varanasi District Magistrate Satyendra Kumar. According to AIMC, the DM assured that the matter would be resolved through discussions with Railways and that no immediate coercive action would be taken.
Following the meeting and protests, the committee said Railways withdrew the notice around June 23. No demolition was carried out. However, confusion persists. On July 14, a second notice reportedly granting temporary relief was pasted on the mosque and removed within an hour by railway personnel, sparking fresh protests.
