Kushinagar mosque demolition: SP delegation visits spot, to submit report to chief Akhilesh

Gorakhpur: An 18-member delegation of the Samajwadi Party inspected a mosque near here on Tuesday, two days after a portion of it was demolished by authorities claiming it was illegally built.

The delegation was led by Leader of the Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council Lal Bihari Yadav. It would submit its report to party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

The district administration in Kushinagar razed a part of the Madni Masjid in the Hata area that was allegedly constructed illegally, after the expiration of the high court's stay order.

The delegation gathered information about the action taken by the authorities against the mosque to prepare their report. It included senior SP leaders like former minister Brahammsgankar Tripathi, Radheyshyam Singh, and former MP Baleshwar Yadav.

The demolition drive was carried out under heavy security on Sunday. Officials claimed that the structure demolished was illegally built on government land, while the mosque committee termed the action a violation of Supreme Court and High Court orders.

The committee alleged that the demolition took place despite a court stay order, adding that bulldozers arrived early on February 9 and demolished part of the mosque structure without prior notice.

The committee has demanded accountability from officials and permission to reconstruct the mosque.

Lal Bihari Yadav asserted that the mosque stood on a legally registered land. Rejecting the administration’s claims, he said the land was not illegal and accused authorities of disregarding Supreme Court directives. He said that he would raise the issue in both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council.