The Yogi Adityanath government has taken firm action in Kushinagar, demolishing the illegal Madni Mosque after the High Court’s stay expired on February 8. Following an investigation into unauthorised construction and repeated notices to the mosque management, the administration proceeded with the demolition under heavy police deployment on February 9
The mosque had been under investigation since December 18, 2024, following allegations of irregularities. The authorities had issued three notices to the mosque’s management, but due to unsatisfactory responses, action was initiated.
The Yogi government’s bulldozers arrived to demolish the structure. The demolition was carried out under heavy police deployment. The investigation commenced on December 18 and concluded on December 23. Following this, the municipal authorities issued notices to the mosque’s management committee, asking for building plans and related documents three times. As the required documents were not submitted within the stipulated timeframe, the construction was deemed illegal, and action was taken under the Municipal Act.
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It is worth noting that the mosque authorities had obtained a stay order from the High Court until February 8, temporarily halting the demolition. However, as soon as the stay expired on February 9, the administration deployed machinery along with a heavy security force to begin the demolition of the unauthorized sections of the mosque.
The controversy surrounding the mosque stems from its construction in 1999 when only a two-storey building plan was approved. However, in violation of regulations, a four-story structure, including a basement, was constructed, which became the primary cause of the dispute.
The complaint regarding this illegal construction was consistently raised by a local resident, Ram Bachan Singh. He had lodged several complaints with the concerned departments and successive governments, but no action was taken. In 2017, after the BJP government came to power, Singh escalated the matter by personally bringing it to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s attention. Following the Chief Minister’s intervention, the Kushinagar administration took cognizance of the issue and launched an investigation into the four-story Madni Mosque situated at Ward No. 21, Gandhi Nagar, near Karamha Chowk in Hata town.
After the matter reached the Chief Minister, the Hata Municipality took action against the illegal construction of the mosque. On Sunday, the administration deployed equipment to demolish the structure under police supervision. By the time the action was taken, the mosque management had already vacated the premises and was not present during the demolition process.
