The Uttar Pradesh government carried out a demolition drive against the historic Madni Mosque in the Kata area of Kushinagar on Sunday, February 9. The mosque was razed following allegations by Hindutva groups that it had been built on encroached government land.
The action took place just a day after a High Court stay order expired on February 8. Authorities claimed that the mosque committee had failed to provide ownership documents, despite being asked to do so earlier.
The demolition was executed under heavy security, with Kushinagar SP Santosh Mishra, DSP Kasya Kundan Singh, and multiple police units, along with BSF forces, overseeing the operation. Five bulldozers were deployed to bring down the structure, reflecting the administration’s determination to proceed despite community concerns.
The controversy began on December 18, 2024, when local Hindutva activists lodged a complaint on the Uttar Pradesh chief minister’s portal, alleging that the mosque stood on government land.
In response, the mosque committee asserted that the Muslim community had legally purchased 0.32 acres of land nearly 15 years ago for the construction of the mosque. However, a district survey later claimed that a portion of the mosque was on public land.
The authorities then asked the mosque committee to submit an original property map, but municipal records allegedly failed to locate it. With no official document produced, three mosque committee members were booked for forgery, accused of falsely claiming government land as mosque property.
The Madni Mosque was more than just a place of worship—it had served as a center for Islamic education and community gatherings for over two decades. It was also a zonal office for the Tablighi Jamaat in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The demolition has left the Muslim community deeply distressed, viewing it as part of a broader pattern of targeting religious institutions under the state government’s intensified crackdown on alleged illegal structures.
While authorities insist that the action was strictly a legal measure against land encroachment, critics argue that such bulldozer demolitions disproportionately affect Muslim institutions. The heavy police presence signals the administration’s awareness of potential unrest, given the community’s frustration.
The incident has once again raised serious concerns about property rights, religious freedom, and the selective use of state power, adding to the growing debate over bulldozer justice in Uttar Pradesh.
