Shamli, September 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Iqra Hasan on Saturday condemned the demolition of a mosque at the Saharanpur Collectorate, calling the action “shameful” and alleging that authorities failed to adequately follow legal procedures.
The Kairana MP also questioned the urgency of the action, saying that if governments were to act without allowing adequate judicial recourse, there would be little purpose in having courts.
Speaking to IANS, Hasan described the mosque as an old religious structure and alleged that authorities did not adequately consider provisions she said were relevant, including the Places of Worship Act and the concept of “Waqf by User”.
“We were stopped from going to Saharanpur so that such action could be taken. The police demolished our mosque without following the law and order of our country,” she alleged, adding that she believed the authorities should have remained neutral.
Hasan claimed the mosque predated 1947 and argued that the relevant legal provisions should therefore have been considered before the demolition.
She also alleged that she received information late Friday night that the Collectorate mosque had been sealed. She said she and other party members then decided to travel to Saharanpur to speak with officials, but alleged that a large police force was deployed outside her residence and prevented her from leaving.
“This is throttling our Constitution; it is tearing the Constitution to shreds,” Hasan said.
The SP MP alleged that the demolition reflected a broader trend of places of worship being targeted for political purposes. She said she had spoken with party chief Akhilesh Yadav and other leaders, while the party’s legal team was examining possible remedies.
Questioning the timing, Hasan said the demolition was carried out only a day after a judgment and alleged that insufficient time had been provided to pursue further legal options.
She further claimed that the judgment did not specifically address the mosque or the applicability of the Places of Worship Act.
The Saharanpur administration has maintained that the structure was an illegal construction on government land. The mosque committee’s legal challenge was rejected before the demolition.
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