Authorities in Sambhal district, Uttar Pradesh, demolished the Mustafa Qadri Mosque in Kaserwa village, Nakhasar police station area, overnight without prior notice, using two bulldozers, local sources said. All debris was removed quickly after the demolition was complete.
The district administration said the mosque had been built illegally on land belonging to the village sabha (local council) that had been reserved for a graveyard. Officials said part of the mosque had been demolished previously, and the operation completed what remained. Opposition parties criticised the action and local residents expressed anger, saying it amounted to the destruction of a religious structure without due process.
Eyewitnesses said that a high-level delegation from the Indian National Congress, which had come to the village that day to inspect the earlier demolition, departed shortly before the overnight operation began. Residents described the rapid removal of all rubble as an attempt to leave no trace of the mosque’s existence.
Video of the demolition spread on social media and drew criticism from various political parties and civil society groups.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report