Concern grows over structures linked with Muslim community in wake of notices, demolition in Uttar Pradesh

The concern comes against the backdrop of the demolition of a century-old mosque inside the Saharanpur Collectorate complex on September 5 and authorities in Moradabad issuing notice recently to the management of the Mustafa Mosque, describing it as an “unauthorised construction”.

Published - September 10, 2026 04:00 am IST - LUCKNOW

Police personnel and officials at the site after a demolition of a mosque in Saharanpur. File | Photo Credit: ANI

Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday (September 9, 2026) expressed concern that targeting of mosques and structures linked to the Muslim community will intensify across the State in view of the upcoming Assembly election in a bid to polarise people.

The concern comes against the backdrop of the demolition of a century-old mosque inside the Saharanpur Collectorate complex on September 5 and authorities in Moradabad issuing notice recently to the management of the Mustafa Mosque, describing it as an “unauthorised construction”. The Moradabad Development Authority notice dated August 21, which came into focus on Tuesday, said the construction map of the mosque had not been approved.

“With the Uttar Pradesh election approaching in the next five months, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is likely to escalate this assault on such structures under the pretext of addressing encroachments. These actions are intended to polarise society along religious lines for electoral gain,” said Afzal Ansari, Lok Sabha MP from Ghazipur and a senior leader Samajwadi Party (SP) leader, calling upon the Supreme Court and High Court to take notice of this “motivated” demolition initiative.

The Congress accused the U.P. government of attempting to instil a sense of “everyday communalism” in the society through such notices. “Development authorities were constituted in Uttar Pradesh after the 1980s... these religious structures are over 100 years old, when no such regulations existed. Structures associated with other communities will also fail the yardstick of the new regulatory framework, but those linked with the Muslim community are being singled out,” said Shahnawaz Alam, Congress national secretary.

Zia ur Rehman Barq, the SP MP from Sambhal, accused the Uttar Pradesh government of pursuing a “one-point programme” focused on mosques, madrasas and graveyards, and criticised officials over the demolition of the mosque in Saharanpur. He alleged that the government was not focusing on inflation, employment, education, health care or services for the poor, and was instead “harassing Muslims” in the belief that it would help it win elections.

Mr. Barq said the Saharanpur mosque was 119 years old and had documents relating to it. He also criticised notices being issued in Sambhal and Moradabad, calling such action “completely wrong”.

Published - September 10, 2026 04:00 am IST

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