Local authorities demolished a mosque located inside the District Magistrate’s office complex on Sep. 5, in the presence of the SDM and the City Magistrate, amid a heavy police presence.
The Court of the City Magistrate had declared the mosque illegal last month and issued an order for its demolition. Security forces were deployed across multiple locations in Saharanpur following the demolition.Lok Sabha MP Iqra Hasan, who had planned to visit Saharanpur the same day, was placed under house arrest. She alleged that as she was leaving her home to travel to Saharanpur, a large police force arrived at her residence and blocked her from departing.
Senior SP leader and MP, Afzal Ansari condemned the development in strong terms. “Iqra Hasan is an MP from our party, and we have received information that she has been placed under house arrest along with the local MLA and others. The BJP is completely trampling constitutional rights. There can be no greater threat to democracy than placing an MP under house arrest,” he said.
On the demolition itself, Ansari added, “It is the responsibility of a public representative to go to the spot, talk to the people, and resolve the issues.”
The SP also accused the ruling BJP of deliberately engineering communal tension ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The party alleged that the BJP is continuously attempting to stoke unrest in the state along communal lines as elections draw closer.