Saharanpur, 05 Sept (HS):

Demolition proceedings began early

Saturday morning at the mosque located in the Saharanpur Collectorate complex.

The administration sealed all five gates of the Collectorate complex. No

outsiders were allowed into the complex. A large police force, including the

RAF, was deployed for security.

Action started after the order

of the District Judge: The mosque demolition process began on September 2

following an order from the District Judge's court. JCBs, dump trucks, and

other machinery were brought to the Collectorate premises overnight.

Subsequently, the demolition of the mosque structure began slowly on Saturday

morning. All five entrances to the Collectorate complex were sealed before the

demolition began. No outsiders were allowed inside. Police deployment was also

increased in the surrounding area.

Police force was also called

from other districts: The police administration and local intelligence unit

assessed the situation in the district before the mosque was demolished.

Following intelligence gathering, police presence around the complex increased

late Friday evening. Additional police forces were called in from other

districts to ensure security. Senior police and administrative officials were

present on the scene during the operation on Saturday morning.

The petition was filed on March

24, 2025: The controversy surrounding the mosque began with a complaint by

Vikas Tyagi, former state convener of the Bajrang Dal. Following this, a

petition was filed in the City Magistrate's Court on March 24, 2025, under the

PP Act.

The city magistrate had declared

the mosque illegal: On July 16, 2026, the City Magistrate's Court declared the

mosque illegal and imposed a fine of Rs. 6.41 crore. The mosque's side

filed a petition against this order in the District Judge's court on July 20,

2026.

The verdict came on September 2

after 17 hearings: The case was heard in the District Judge's court on 17

dates. On September 2, the court upheld the City Magistrate's decision and

dismissed the mosque party's petition. Following this, the administration began

demolition proceedings.

Iqra Hasan house arrest before

going to Saharanpur: In connection with this matter, it has come to light that

Kairana MP Iqra Hasan was placed under house arrest at her residence in Kairana

before leaving for Saharanpur. It was reported that as the MP was leaving her

home to travel to Saharanpur, a large police force arrived at her residence and

prevented her from leaving.

Akhilesh Yadav said- Those who

do not respect other religions are not true Sanatanis. On the demolition of the

Collectorate Mosque, former MP Haji Fazlur Rahman said – the administration's

decision was a hasty step, time should have been given to approach the High

Court.

Ikra Hasan said- Is it a crime

to raise the voice of the public? After being placed under house arrest, Iqra

Hasan said that a heavy police force was deployed at her residence to prevent

her from leaving Saharanpur. She said that she wanted to go to Saharanpur to

meet with officials regarding the Saharanpur Collectorate Mosque incident and

to express the voices of the people of the area. The MP questioned whether it

had become a crime for an elected MP to meet with officials on a public issue.

He said that in a democracy, public representatives are elected to raise the

voice of the people, and that voice cannot be suppressed by obstructing them.

Imran Masood said – today is a

black day for us, we did not do the right thing by demolishing the mosque. MP

Imran Masood held a press conference at MLC Shahnawaz Khan's home and said,

Our fight is based on documents. We will not back down. We will go all

the way from the High Court to the Supreme Court. Losing an election is a

different matter. The BJP can handle this. We are peace-loving people. We want

to see love and brotherhood among people. We do not like fighting and

quarreling.

By bulldozing the mosque, an act

has been taken against the Constitution. Today is a dark day for us. You did

not do the right thing by demolishing our mosque. You can take action on vacant

land, but you cannot take action on the site where the mosque was built.

This isn't a matter of profit or

loss for me. I don't want to play politics on this. Whoever wants to play

politics can do so. This is a fight for the pen, and we will fight with the

pen. Documents were completely ignored in this case. The Collectorate land doesn't

belong to the government. This land belongs to someone else. The government

must first prove that it owns this land. Only then should any action be taken.

Saharanpur Division DIG Abhishek

Singh said, The City Magistrate's Court had deemed the mosque built in

the Collectorate as illegal construction on government land. The mosque side

appealed this order, but their appeal was rejected, and the City Magistrate's

order was upheld.

Following this, action is now

underway to demolish the mosque. All legal procedures, including notices and

appeals, have been completed before the mosque can be demolished. This action

was initiated only after the appeal was rejected. Regarding security, the

official said that five companies of PAC and RAF are deployed in Saharanpur in

view of the festivals. Foot patrols and flag marches are being conducted

regularly in sensitive areas.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi