Maulana Mahmood Madani describes the move as part of a wider, disturbing trend of targeting Muslim religious heritage under alleged state patronage and communal pressure
NEW DELHI – Amid a growing pattern of action against mosques, shrines and other religious places belonging to minority communities across several BJP-ruled states, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (Mahmood Madani faction) on Wednesday expressed grave concern over the vandalism and demolition notices issued against centuries-old shrines located adjacent to King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow.
The organisation described the move as part of a wider, disturbing trend of targeting Muslim religious heritage under alleged state patronage and communal pressure.
Jamiat chief Maulana Mahmood Madani strongly condemned the recent vandalism inside the shrine of Hazrat Haji Harmain Shah and the subsequent issuance of demolition notices to shrines situated within the precincts of Hazrat Makhdoom Shah Meena. He warned the KGMU administration against violating constitutional guarantees and laws governing waqf properties “under the cover of misleading propaganda” and demanded immediate withdrawal of all demolition notices.
“These shrines are not encroachments. They are part of India’s historical and religious landscape, predating the medical college itself by centuries,” Maulana Madani said in a statement. He pointed out that the shrines adjoining KGMU are over 700 years old, while King George’s Medical College was established only in 1912 during the colonial period.
Refuting media narratives questioning the presence of multiple shrines “within a college campus”, Madani said such claims were factually incorrect and deliberately communal in nature. At the time of the college’s establishment, he noted, the Revenue Department had clearly demarcated the shrine land separately from the college campus, giving it an independent and permanent legal status. “To now suggest otherwise is not only misleading but also aimed at justifying unlawful actions,” he said.
The Jamiat chief also highlighted the demolition carried out on April 26, 2025, under the supervision of Professor Dr KK Singh, which included the destruction of the ablution area (wuzu khana), prayer space and facilities meant for devotees within the boundaries of the shrine of Hazrat Haji Harmain Shah. According to Madani, the action was taken without any court order, approval from the Waqf Board, or consent of the mutawalli (caretaker).
“This was a unilateral and illegal act,” he said, adding that the demolition appeared to have been carried out in an atmosphere vitiated by distorted and sensationalised media narratives rather than through any lawful administrative process.
Emphasising the legal position, Maulana Madani said the land in question is a duly registered waqf property under the Waqf Act, 1995, and is officially recorded with the UP Sunni Waqf Board. Under the law, he stressed, all disputes or actions related to waqf properties fall exclusively within the jurisdiction of competent courts. “No university administration, district official or other authority has the power to issue demolition notices or resort to coercive measures in matters concerning waqf land,” he said, calling such actions “patently illegal and unconstitutional”.
The Jamiat’s statement comes at a time when civil rights groups and minority organisations have repeatedly flagged what they describe as a systematic targeting of mosques, dargahs and religious institutions across states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana. In many cases, actions have been justified in the name of anti-encroachment drives, urban development or law and order, often accompanied by aggressive campaigns by Hindutva groups demanding the “removal” of Muslim religious structures.
Last month in Delhi, Masjid Faiz-e Ilahi faced the brunt of bulldozers, and Baba Bhulle Shah mausoleum in Mussoorie in Uttarakhand was vandalised.
It is alleged that these actions enjoy tacit or overt patronage of BJP-led governments, creating an environment of fear and insecurity among minorities. It also undermines constitutional protections guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26.
Maulana Madani also criticised the apparent inaction of the Waqf Board, saying it must act proactively and decisively to protect waqf properties. He called for a special drive to systematically identify and safeguard ancient shrines, mosques and heritage religious sites, particularly those vulnerable to administrative or communal pressure.
He further demanded the immediate restoration of the demolished portions of the shrine of Hazrat Haji Harmain Shah and urged authorities to provide certified copies of all relevant legal documents to mutawallis. Such steps, he said, were essential to prevent similar incidents in the future and to ensure that religious disputes are resolved through law, not force or propaganda.
“The Constitution guarantees equal protection of law to all citizens and communities,” Madani said. “Any attempt to erase the religious and cultural heritage of a community through illegal means is an assault not just on minorities, but on India’s constitutional ethos itself.”
