Muslims oppose demolition of an unauthorised structure claimed to be a mosque in UP

Lucknow:The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board has condemned the act of the Barabanki district administration which had demolished an unauthorized structure claimed to be a mosque by the local muslims at Ram sanehi ghat in the district on Monday.

Police and district officials moved into the area and cleared it of people, then demolished the said structure. Police has been deployed to maintain order in the area.

District Magistrate Barabanki Adarsh Singh, said on Tuesday, “I do not know any mosque. I know there was an illegal structure. The Allahabad high court declared it illegal. That’s why district administration took action.”

A local cleric Maulana Abdul Mustafa, who is on the mosque committee, said the mosque was “over 100 years old” and that “thousands of people have been coming here five times a day to offer namaz.”

“All Muslims were scared, so no one went near the mosque or dared to protest when the mosque was being demolished. Even today, several dozen people are leaving their homes and hiding in other areas out of the fear of the police”, said Maulana.

The mosque’s presence has been contested by the local administration, which on March 15 had issued a “show cause” notice to the mosque committee asking it to explain how the building’s location was chosen and citing an intention to demolish it on the grounds that there were illegal structures on the land. The mosque committee sent reply to the administration.

Meanwhile Mr Zafur Ahmad Faruqi, chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board has condemned the incident. “I strongly condemn the patently illegal and high-handed action by which they have demolished a 100 year old mosque in the premises of Ram sanehi ghat tehsil office”, said Faruqi.

Mr Faruqi said the demolition was “against the law, a misuse of power and in utter violation of the high court order issued on April 24, He said the board for the restoration of the mosque would soon file a petition in the high court and also demand for judicial inquiry into the incident and action against the guilty officials.(UNI)