Century-old mosque demolition sparks outrage in India

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - Muslim leaders in India condemned on Tuesday a local administration that defied a court order by demolishing a century-old mosque.

Officials of the Sunni Central Waqf Board of Uttar Pradesh state said on Tuesday that the mosque was registered with the board and that the action of the administration, ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was against court orders.

"I strongly condemn the patently illegal and high-handed action of tehsil and district administration. They have demolished a 100-year-old mosque in the name of encroachment clearance," said a statement issued by board chairman Zufar Farooqui. "This act is against law, misuse of power and in utter violation of the clear orders dated 24.04.2021 passed by the Hon'ble High court."

Farooqui was referring to a ruling last month by the Allahabad High Court that suspended the "eviction, dispossession or demolition" in the district until May 31 due to the pandemic.

The waqf chairman also said that the board would approach the high court for "restoration of the mosque, high-level action against the guilty officers and also a high-level judicial inquiry."

Lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi, who is also the head of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), said on Twitter: "This masjid demolition is not only violation of the constitution, but also a poor attempt to divert attention from his abject misrule."

The secretary of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board Zafaryab Jilani also said the action was "illegal" and "unconstitutional."

Locals in the Barabanki district, where the mosque was situated, said the administration "forcibly" demolished it.

"I am 42 years old and would often offer Friday prayers at the mosque ... all sections of society are condemning this act by the administration," local resident Ashir Kadwayi told Anadolu Agency over the phone.

"This issue has been going on since March ... and yesterday the mosque was martyred [demolished]."

Local broadcaster News18 quoted a district administration statement stating that "As per the orders of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court...the questionable complex was found to be illegal."

Although senior district officials did not respond to Anadolu Agency's calls, a local official claimed that an "illegal structure" was demolished on Monday.