Saharanpur Mosque Razed: Iqra Hasan Under House Arrest? Akhilesh Yadav Posts Cryptic Message

A mosque inside the District Magistrate’s office complex in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur was demolished on Saturday, a day after a district court upheld an order declaring the structure illegal.

Senior officials, including the District Magistrate and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, supervised the operation as bulldozers pulled down the structure. The administration closed all gates to the Collectorate and deployed Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel around the complex.

The demolition has erupted into a political controversy as Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Hasan has claimed that she was put into an house arrest before the demolition, while BSP supremo Mayawati has also questioned the practise.

Court Upholds Demolition Order

The demolition followed the District Judge’s September 4 decision dismissing an appeal filed by representatives of the mosque. After hearing both sides and examining the evidence, the court upheld the City Magistrate’s earlier order against the structure.

On July 17, City Magistrate Kuldeep Singh had directed the authorities to demolish the mosque and imposed compensation of approximately Rs 6.41 crore on its occupants for the alleged encroachment and misuse of government land.

Former Bajrang Dal provincial coordinator Vikas Tyagi had filed the complaint that led to the proceedings. He alleged that the mosque had been constructed illegally within the District Magistrate’s office complex, where officials conduct confidential administrative work.

Tyagi also claimed that those managing the premises were using parts of the property commercially. According to the complaint, a post office operated from the site, while the mosque committee allegedly rented some rooms to outsiders and collected monthly payments.

The district administration told the court that the alleged encroachment and commercial activity raised security concerns because of the sensitive nature of the government offices inside the compound.

Iqra Hasan Alleges House Arrest

Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Hasan said police placed her under house arrest at her Kairana residence before she could travel to Saharanpur to meet officials over the demolition.

“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 told news agency ANI.

“In a democracy, public representatives are elected to raise the voice of the people. That voice cannot be suppressed by stopping me,” she added.

The Samajwadi Party accused the BJP-led state government of restricting Hasan’s movement to prevent her from raising objections to the demolition.

Akhilesh Yadav's Cryptic Post, Mayawati's Criticism

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav responded to the demolition and Hasan’s alleged house arrest with a brief statement.

“Maintaining harmony is the government’s greatest responsibility and also its achievement,” Yadav said.

Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati also criticised the Uttar Pradesh government, accusing it of acting in “hasty” fashion while demolishing mosques and other religious structures declared illegal.

In a post on X, Mayawati called for an immediate halt to such demolitions and urged the government to explore alternative ways of resolving disputes without creating wider social consequences.

She said a constitutional and secular government must protect people of every religion and show equal respect towards their places of worship.

Mayawati also raised concerns over authorities demolishing the homes of accused people without following due process. She said punishing entire families or evicting them because one member faced allegations had caused widespread unease.

Calling for the “rule of law by law”, the BSP chief urged the government and courts to examine demolition cases carefully. She also appealed to all sides to preserve communal harmony.