News Brief
Arjun Brij
May 12, 2025, 10:38 AM | Updated 10:38 AM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
The Uttar Pradesh government launched a campaign against illegal religious encroachments, sealing or demolishing over 350 unauthorised structures including madrasas, mosques, mazars and Eidgahs in recent days, according to an official statement issued on Sunday (11 May).
This sweeping action, undertaken in districts bordering Nepal such as Pilibhit, Shravasti, Balrampur, Bahraich, Siddharthnagar, and Maharajganj, follows a directive from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who has stated unequivocally that no religious encroachment will be tolerated, reported PTI.
In Shravasti, officials identified 104 madrasas, one mosque, five mazars and two Eidgahs built illegally on public and private land. All were issued notices and sealed, the statement noted. One madrasa on public land was demolished, and two unrecognised ones on private land were sealed.
In Bahraich, 13 madrasas, eight mosques, two mazars and one Eidgah were flagged. Five structures were sealed, while 11 comprising eight madrasas, two mosques and one mazar were demolished.
Siddharthnagar authorities took action against 23 illegal constructions after identifying 18 madrasas, four mosques and one more madrasa. Five madrasas were sealed and nine were demolished, the statement confirmed.
In Maharajganj’s Parsamalik village, an unrecognised madrasa on Maktab land was shut down. The building's keys were handed over to the local police station in-charge. To date, 29 madrasas and five mazars have been demolished in the district.
Lakhimpur Kheri saw action against 13 unauthorised religious sites. One was served a notice, nine were sealed and three have been demolished so far.
In Balrampur, 30 madrasas, 10 mazars and one Eidgah have been demolished. Pilibhit officials have issued notice for a mosque on 0.0310 hectares of public land, pending response.
Alos Read: India Shot Down Pakistani Fighter Jets Including 'High-Tech' Aircraft In Operation Sindoor: IAF
Arjun Brij is an Editorial Associate at Swarajya. He tweets at @arjun_brij