UP: Sunni Waqf Board Demands Restoration Of Mosque, Days After Its Demolition As Illegal Structure

A day after the district administration in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki demolished an “illegal structure”, the state’s Sunni Central Waqf Board issued a statement calling the action illegal and demanded restoration of the structure which it claims to be an old mosque.

The mosque or illegal structure in question was situated in Bani Kada village within tehsil of Ramsanehi Ghat and was also known locally as the Gareeb Nawaz Masjid, reports The Indian Express.

"The mosque near the tehsil premises has been demolished by the Ram Sanehi Ghat SDM in the name of removing encroachment. I strongly condemn this illegal and arbitrary action," said Waqf Board chairman Zufar Farooqui.

He added that they will soon file a case in the court in this regard and demanded a high-level judicial inquiry and action against the guilty officers.

“In the Tehsil residential complex of Ramsnehi Ghat in front of the SDM’s residence, regarding a residential illegal structure, a chance was given to the opposite party to present their version through a notice issued on 15 March. After the notice was sent, the people living in the illegal structure fled. On 18 March, the Tehsil administrative team took the questionable construction under its possession for the purpose of safety,” the district administration said in a statement.

It further said, “The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court, during (the) hearing of writ petition (filed by the mosque), had established that the residential construction is illegal. On the basis of this, a case was lodged at SDM, Ramsnehi Ghat court. Following legal proceedings, (the) orders followed on 17 May, 2021.”