Mayawati Calls for an Immediate Stop to Uttar Pradesh’s Mosque Demolition Drive

On Saturday, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati took to X to lambast the Uttar Pradesh government’s blitz of mosque demolitions that has been unfolding across the state. In her post, she described the campaign as “not right” and demanded an immediate halt, arguing that the rush to label places of worship as illegal was harming communal harmony.

“The ongoing government campaign in the entire state of Uttar Pradesh, including the mosque in Saharanpur district, which daily declares mosques illegal in great haste and proceeds to demolish them, is not right. The government should immediately halt this and certainly adopt other measures to resolve the issue,” she wrote, adding that a constitutional, secular administration has a duty to protect the religious sentiments of all communities.

Mayawati reminded everyone that mosques occupy a special place in Islamic worship, and that any action affecting them must be handled with sensitivity. She went further to criticize the demolition of houses belonging to accused individuals, saying that families were being collectively punished without due legal process. “People are greatly disturbed by actions that demolish the house of any accused without proper adherence to rules and laws, thereby rendering entire families homeless,” she said.

The leader called for what she termed “rule of law through law,” urging both the state government and the judiciary to pay close attention to these matters. “It would be appropriate for not only the government but also the honourable judiciary to pay due attention to this matter,” she added, appealing to citizens to preserve communal peace.

The latest flashpoint was the demolition of an alleged illegal mosque at the Saharanpur Collectorate complex. A City Magistrate had, on July 17, declared the structure illegal and ordered its razing, along with a compensation bill of roughly ₹6.41 crore for alleged encroachment on government land. When the appeal against that order was dismissed on September 4 by a District Judge, demolition crews moved in.

The move sparked political ripples. Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Hasan claimed she was placed under house arrest in Kairana while trying to visit Saharanpur, alleging that a large police contingent barred her exit. Fellow SP MP Awadhesh Prasad echoed her concerns, saying elected representatives have a constitutional right to inspect affected sites and raise public grievances.

Congress MP Imran Masood also voiced opposition, asserting the mosque dated back to before 1911 and that the Waqf Board had been excluded from the proceedings. He promised to pursue the matter through legal channels.

Meanwhile, Saharanpur DIG Abhishek Singh defended the demolition, stating that the structure had been found illegally built on government land and that the action was taken strictly per court orders. He mentioned additional police and rapid action forces were deployed to maintain order and that social media was being monitored to curb rumors.

As the debate unfolds, Mayawati’s remarks have added another layer of scrutiny, urging the authorities to balance law‑enforcement with respect for religious freedoms and to avoid collective punishments that could further inflame tensions.