India partially demolishes 185-year-old Noori Masjid citing encroachment on future roadwork

Part of the 180-year-old Noori Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh, India was demolished on Tuesday(11 Dec) with a bulldozer after authorities sought to "strengthen the road and construct drains".

The incident happened days after the Indian Supreme Court underlined that bulldozer action is unacceptable under the rule of law, says the Hindu.

The portion was razed even as the mosque committee had approached the Allahabad High Court seeking relief.

The demolished portion was allegedly built in the last three years over the Banda-Bahraich State Highway 13. The main building of the mosque was untouched and is intact. A large number of police personnel, including Rapid Action Force, was deployed at the spot during the anti-encroachment drive. 

"The Public Works Department had given a notice in August to remove the structure, built by encroaching upon the road, for strengthening the road and constructing drains. The committee assured to remove the encroachment, but they did not do it," said Avinash Tripathi, Additional District Magistrate, Finance and Revenue, Fatehpur. 

The Opposition hit out at the State government alleging "selective" targeting. "If a structure is 180-year-old, mechanism should be there to protect them. But, when the intention is to selectively target a particular community aimed at humiliating them, then such incident happens. Such activities show that institutions of the State apparatus are not with the Muslim community," said Shahnawaz Alam, national secretary, Congress.