In Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district, authorities on Thursday demolished a mosque in Rayee Buzurg village and claimed it was illegally constructed on government pond land.
The action, which had been under discussion for nearly a year, was carried out under tight security, with the entire area turned into a police cantonment.
Hundreds of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed, with officials including the SDM and City Magistrate monitoring the demolition.
A nearby marriage hall named Janta is also slated for demolition. According to officials, the Revenue Department had earlier inspected the site and served a notice declaring the mosque an encroachment.
Meanwhile, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit, and Badaun have been placed on high alert following last week’s protest and police crackdown in Bareilly’s Kotwali area over “I Love Muhammad” posters. Over 81 people have been arrested so far in connection with the clashes.
Security has been further tightened. Police, PAC, and RAF forces have been deployed, with drones monitoring sensitive areas. Intelligence agencies are also on high alert to prevent any escalation.
District officials in Sambhal stated that the action is part of a larger drive against illegal constructions and appealed to the locals to maintain peace. Villagers, however, dispute the claim, saying the mosque was built nearly a decade ago.
Land Revenue Officer Dharmendra Kumar said, “This is a case of encroachment on a pond and reserved land. The court had passed an eviction order. The mosque has been vacated. On the request of the mosque committee, the DM has given them time, and they will remove the mosque themselves.”
SSP K. K. Bishnoi told Maktoob, “The construction was done illegally. We had given the masjid committee a notice one month ago, but they took no cognisance.”
“We have deployed more police force to avoid any untoward incident. A masjid and attached madrasa were demolished along with a marriage hall. We have identified more such properties which will be demolished in due course.”
