Police seal the mosque site in Morna village and arrest the caretaker and owner of the plot
NEW DELHI — The recent sealing of a mosque construction site in Morna village, under the Bhopa police jurisdiction, and the arrest of two Muslims has raised alarm among local Muslim communities and human rights observers. The Muzaffarnagar district police acted swiftly on Sunday to stop the construction of a mosque, claiming it was being built without government permission.
The arrested individuals, Niazuddin, the caretaker of the mosque, and Yunus, the owner of the plot on which the mosque was being built, were taken into custody and sent to jail under Section 170 of the BNS, a provision cited for illegal construction and disturbing public peace.
However, community members and legal experts argue that this action disproportionately targets Muslims and reflects a wider trend of restricting their religious rights.
“The mosque was being built to serve the local Muslim population’s spiritual needs,” said Niazuddin, the mosque caretaker, speaking from custody. “We were following our faith and traditions, and this sudden sealing and arrests feel like an attack on our religious freedom.”
According to police officials, constructing any religious structure in Uttar Pradesh requires prior government approval, a rule that officials say was not followed in this case.
Rural SP Aditya Bansal told reporters, “We received information yesterday evening that illegal religious structures were being constructed in Morna village without permission. We immediately informed the SDM Jansith, who sent a Tehsildar team to inspect the site. After confirming the violation, the property was sealed and two persons were arrested under Section 170 BNS for disturbing the peace.”
Yet many Muslims in Muzaffarnagar view the police action as part of a continuing pattern of harassment and discrimination. Local Farooq Ansari said, “This is not just about one mosque. It’s about a community being denied its right to build places of worship. Other religious groups often build freely, but Muslims face hurdles at every step.”
Human rights activists have also criticised the police action, calling it “selective enforcement” of laws designed to suppress Muslim religious expression. “The permission process is often used to delay or deny Muslims the right to build mosques, while other religious communities face no such restrictions,” said Ayesha Khan, a legal activist working with minority rights groups. “This case in Muzaffarnagar is a clear example of such discrimination.”
It is also worth noting that the country’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion to all its citizens, yet many Muslims feel their rights are increasingly under threat. “The police action sends a chilling message to Muslims across the state: your faith and your places of worship can be targeted anytime under the pretext of ‘illegal construction’,” said local journalist Mohd Alamullah.
The Muzaffarnagar incident is not isolated. Similar cases have emerged in various parts of Uttar Pradesh, where Muslim places of worship face bureaucratic obstacles or outright crackdowns, even as other religious groups face little opposition. This has caused anxiety and a sense of insecurity among the Muslim community, which is already vulnerable to social and political marginalisation.
Critics argue that the government’s strict enforcement of mosque construction rules is less about legality and more about communal politics. “These actions are often timed and targeted to send a message to the Muslim community,” said political analyst Saira Malik. “This only deepens divisions and undermines communal harmony.”
Meanwhile, local Muslim leaders are urging the administration to reconsider such punitive steps and instead engage in dialogue to address concerns fairly. Imam Khalid Rizvi of Muzaffarnagar stated, “Mosques are not just buildings; they are centres of faith and community life. We appeal to the authorities to respect our constitutional rights and allow Muslims to practise their religion freely.”
The arrested men are currently lodged in Muzaffarnagar jail pending further investigation. Their families and community members have called for their immediate release, asserting that the arrests were unjust and meant to intimidate Muslims from practising their faith.
This incident highlights the growing tensions in Uttar Pradesh around religious freedom, law enforcement, and minority rights, underscoring the urgent need for a balanced and just approach that protects all citizens equally.
