Bulldozer action on Saharanpur mosque in UP, Samajwadi Party MP claims house arrest

However, City Magistrate, Saharanpur, Kuldeep Singh told The Indian Express that demolition began around 6.45 am so that the work could be completed early, adding that the entire building has now been razed and debris is being cleared.

Explaining why the structure was demolished when the order pertained to eviction, he clarified that his order had directed “Bedakhali”, which he explained as removal of the premises, and that the building had accordingly been removed from the site.

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Ahmed further contended that the period during which the case file remained pending before the civil court ought to be excluded from the computation time, and that the 30-day eviction period had, therefore, not yet lapsed. He added that the mosque committee intends to approach the high court challenging the demolition.

Abhishek Singh, Saharanpur DIG, said, “There was a mosque here at the Saharanpur Collectorate. The court of the city magistrate found it to be illegally constructed on government land. The appeal [against the demolition] of the Mosque Committee was cancelled.”

“We have taken all preventive steps to maintain law and order. We are following all legal procedures in taking this action.”

#WATCH | DIG Saharanpur Abhishek Singh says, “There was a mosque here at Saharanpur Collectorate. Court of City Magistrate found it to be illegally built on the Govt land. The appeal of the Mosque Committee was cancelled. The illegal construction is now being demolished…”

On… https://t.co/XDR1xnqOPB pic.twitter.com/gA1BARZiHM

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 5, 2026

Iqra Hasan claims house arrest

Ahead of the demolition, Samajwadi Party Lok Sabha MP Iqra Hasan was allegedly placed under house arrest at her residence in Kairana to prevent her from traveling to Saharanpur, reported news agency ANI.

To stem potential unrest, a large contingent of police personnel was stationed outside MP Iqra Hasan’s residence overnight.

#WATCH | Shamli: On the demolition of illegal mosque in DM office complex (Saharanpur) after court upheld the order, SP MP Iqra Hasan says, “After the order from the lower civil court arrived, the entire mosque was sealed off, and barricades were erected in the vicinity;… pic.twitter.com/EVc44F9W3u

— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2026

“A large police force was deployed at my Kairana residence overnight, and I was placed under house arrest to prevent me from going to Saharanpur. I intended to visit Saharanpur to meet officials regarding the Collectorate mosque issue and to voice the concerns of the people of my constituency, but I was not even allowed to leave my home,” Hasan was quoted as saying by ANI.

What is the Saharanpur collectorate office mosque dispute?

The mosque was declared an “unauthorised structure” in July, and the city magistrate had ordered eviction in 30 days. The court had also penalised the the “illegal occupants” Rs 6.41 crore for the ‘unauthorised occupation’ of the 315-square-metre parcel of government land.

The city magistrate order stated that land records show the land has been listed as Collectorate (government) property since 1324 and 1359 Fasli (1952), and even earlier. This proves the land belongs to the UP government, so anyone occupying it without permission is doing so illegally, stated the city magistrate in its order.

The order was passed under the Uttar Pradesh Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1972.

Earlier, City Magistrate Singh had told The Indian Express that proceedings were initiated after the Revenue Department conducted an inquiry into a complaint filed by one Vikas Tyagi, who alleged the mosque had been constructed on government land within the Collectorate campus.

In March 2025, a revenue official (Lekhpal) lodged a complaint against Abdul Hamid, the alleged manager and maulvi of the mosque, alleging unauthorised occupation of government property.

Notices were issued to the respondents in April 2025 and objections were filed on June 11 of that year.

Congress says ‘Black Day’ for Saharanpur

The Opposition slammed the move and hit out at the ruling BJP government.

Congress MP from Saharanpur Imran Masood described it as a “black day” for the people of Saharanpur. He alleged that authorities surrounded people from all sides, confined them inside their homes, and demolished the mosque.

He said it was an attack against the country’s Constitution. “We will fight this battle… as far as the High Court, the Supreme Court, wherever we need to,” he said.

The MP further said the mosque predates 1911, and its ownership is still recorded in the names of Wahid Khan and Yaqub Khan [the zamindars under whom it was built].

He claimed the demolition procedure was flawed as neither the Waqf nor the Waqf Board was made a party to the case, nor was the Limitation Act taken into account. He said, “No Hindu will be happy with this. No other person will be happy when someone’s place of worship is being demolished.”

Masood further said that the state government has no achievements of its own to showcase. “The only ‘achievement’ they have is that they shot Muslims, shot them in the leg, demolished their homes, bulldozed them, and broke down their madrassas — that’s all they have. This is the only oppression they can carry out. Besides this, what else do they have?”

Speaking to news agency PTI, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Dharmendra Kumar Singh said, “This is a government that, from the very first day, wants to run away from basic questions and create a narrative of this kind. There is a system in the Indian judiciary and the Constitution of India. The opportunity for justice extends through all the courts, up to the Supreme Court. And once the Supreme Court gives a judgment, it is final. So, what needs to be seen is whether they were given an opportunity to appeal… But this government continuously gets orders from the courts and immediately takes action in such a way that it creates hatred in society.”

BSP chief Mayawati wrote on X: “The ongoing government campaign in the entire state of UP… which daily declares mosques illegal in great haste and proceeds to demolish them, is not right…”