BJP govt attempts to demolish 1,000-year-old historical mosque in UP
Lucknow: The BJP government, in yet another anti-Muslim action, is attempting to demolish a historic mosque in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a demolition notice has been issued by BJP-led Railway authorities for the 1,000-year-old Ganj Shaheedan Masjid near Kashi Railway Station in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The notice followed strong protests and representations from the Muslim community.
The notice cites the Kashi Railway Station Redevelopment Project as the reason, claiming the mosque was illegally built on railway land. The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee (AIMC), which manages the mosque, rejected the claim as misleading.Committee Secretary Mohammad Yasin said the notice was invalid as it did not bear a date, signature, or official logo. Joint Secretary S.M. Yaseen said the case cited by Railways — Anjuman Intezamia vs Union of India, dismissed on August 28, 2024 — pertains to a different piece of land, not the mosque structure itself.
The committee asserts that Ganj Shaheedan Masjid was established around 1034 AD, predating the railways by centuries. It is registered with the Waqf Board and appears in revenue settlement maps of 1883-84 and in a 1980 map. Yasin also said Railways had earlier submitted an affidavit acknowledging Muslim ownership.The notice has sparked anxiety in the area, with residents fearing the demolition of several Muslim properties, including mosques, mazars, and madrasas, amid recent anti-encroachment drives in Uttar Pradesh.
