Muslims in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur faced yet another challenge as they prepared for the blessed month of Ramadan. Authorities ordered the demolition of two upper floors of the Abu Huraira Masjid, citing “illegal” construction.
On February 13, Shoaib Ahmed, the mosque’s caretaker, received a notice from the Gorakhpur Development Authority (GDA), stating that the mosque’s construction lacked an approved map and violated building regulations. The notice set a 15-day deadline for dismantling the unauthorized portion, warning that failure to comply would result in forced demolition at Ahmed’s expense.
Ahmed, however, contested the notice, arguing that the mosque had been built with municipal board consent after the original structure was demolished in January 2024. The land, allocated by the municipal corporation, spanned 520 sq ft and was designated for religious purposes.
His legal counsel, Jai Prakash Narayan Srivastava, emphasized that the land was not in dispute. He pointed out that, as per a 2008 Urban Development Department directive, no map approval is required for construction on plots smaller than 100 square meters. Ahmed also stated that his father had previously consulted the GDA regarding the mosque’s construction and was informed that a map was unnecessary for a plot of this size.
The Abu Huraira Masjid was constructed last year after the Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation demolished the previous mosque on January 25, along with several nearby houses and shops. Following negotiations, the municipal corporation allocated a 24×26 feet plot for the mosque’s reconstruction. After the passing of the previous caretaker, Suhail Ahmed, his son Shoaib Ahmed took on the responsibility of managing the mosque.
This incident in Gorakhpur reflects a pattern of mosque demolitions in Uttar Pradesh. On February 21, a historic mosque on Delhi Road in Meerut was demolished to make way for the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) Corridor, despite having documentation dating back to 1857. Similarly, in January, parts of a mosque in Kushinagar were razed after authorities labeled them as “illegal encroachments.”
These actions have triggered protests and growing concerns within the Muslim community, with calls for alternative sites to be provided for mosque construction.
