Owaisi condemns Saharanpur mosque demolition, questions constitutional right to religious freedom

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday condemned the demolition of a mosque inside the Saharanpur district collectorate premises and questioned whether the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion applies equally to Muslims.

An illegally constructed mosque located within the collectorate premises was demolished early Saturday, according to officials.

Owaisi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP, the RSS and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath harbour hostility towards mosques and accused the state government of acting unconstitutionally.

He claimed the mosque had been functioning since 1911 or even earlier and was built on land privately donated by a Muslim individual. The mosque, he said, remained in use until September 2026.

According to Owaisi, the district magistrate issued an order around a month and a half ago declaring that the structure was not a mosque and directing its removal. The matter was subsequently taken to court, but the lower court did not grant a stay, he said.

Questioning the timing of the demolition, Owaisi asked why the administration acted at around 5 am on Saturday instead of waiting for the matter to be heard by higher courts.

He alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government did not want the case to reach the higher courts because it knew its position was legally weak.

The AIMIM chief further alleged that the demolition was part of a wider pattern of mosques being targeted and graveyards being destroyed in areas where the BJP is in power.

“We want to ask the BJP, CM Adityanath and the prime minister, does the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion, framed by Babasaheb Ambedkar in the Constitution of India, not apply to Muslims,” he asked.

Owaisi also accused the administration of carrying out the demolition in the early hours like “thieves” and alleged that the action was part of a conspiracy to weaken the Constitution.

He said principles including Waqf by User and adverse possession were in favour of the mosque.

Owaisi urged those managing the mosque to challenge the demolition in higher courts and said the AIMIM was ready to extend legal assistance.

The demolition came after a district court rejected the mosque committee’s appeal against the removal order, according to officials.