The demolition in Sitapur District is the latest in a series of bulldozer actions in BJP-governed states that critics say disproportionately target Muslim properties
NEW DELHI — In a country where lakhs of property dispute cases have been gathering dust at different judicial stages, a mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur district was demolished this week after a court declared it illegal, only weeks after a complaint was filed.
The mosque was demolished early Monday by three bulldozers entering the locality along with a strong posse of nearly 500 police officers before dawn.
Officials claim the mosque in Naigaon Behati village was built illegally on government land designated as a pond, and that a tehsil court had ordered its removal in January after the owners failed to comply with eviction notices.
The operation, led by Additional District Magistrate Nitish Kumar, began around 3 am and was completed without any significant incident. Authorities cited traffic concerns along the adjacent main road to justify the early morning timing of the operation, media reports said on Tuesday.
A case against the structure was first registered in December 2025, and the court declared the construction illegal weeks later, an unusually swift legal timeline that critics may scrutinise. Maulana Abdul Rahman, associated with the mosque, described the matter as “political” but declined to elaborate.
The demolition adds to a growing pattern of bulldozer-led actions in states governed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, particularly in Uttar Pradesh under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Human rights groups and opposition leaders have repeatedly accused the state of using demolitions as a tool of intimidation against Muslims, often under the cover of land encroachment laws. The Supreme Court had previously warned against demolitions carried out without adequate due process.
The Uttar Pradesh administration maintained that the action was strictly lawful, saying it followed multiple notices, a court order, and provisions under Section 67 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code.
No unrest has been reported in the area so far, with officials saying the situation remains under control. Critics, however, argue that until similar enforcement is applied equally across all communities, such operations will continue to raise serious questions about selective justice.
