Self-proclaimed Dalit leader and Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad has come out in support of the illegal mosque that was partially demolished by authorities in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday (5th September). The Nagina MP claimed that the demolition of the mosque, carried out on the order of the City Magistrate, upheld by the court, was “fraudulent and illegal”.
Addressing the media on Sunday (6th September) about the demolition, Aazad said he was ‘deeply hurt’ by the demolition of the structure. He claimed that he was betrayed by the district authorities, with whom he had spoken the night before. Aazad said that he was assured by the district officials that the mosque had only been sealed and would not be demolished. “We trusted them (the officials), but we were betrayed,” the MP said, adding that he was devastated to know about the demolition of the mosque the next morning.
He alleged that district authorities rushed to raze the structure to the ground, without allowing time for the mosque’s representatives to appeal to the High Court. He claimed that the demolition was illegal as the order of the City Magistrate was an ‘eviction order’ and not a ‘demolition order’. He said that he would approach the High Court against the action.
"Officials assured me mosque would not be demolished in Saharanpur, but structure was razed hours later. I will challenge matter in court"
— News Algebra (@NewsAlgebraIND) September 6, 2026
– ASP MP Chandrashekhar Azad pic.twitter.com/1V2KvjgQAx
Notably, the demolition of the mosque comes after an order passed by District Judge Satendra Kumar on Thursday, 3rd September. In the order, the judge rejected the plea of the Muslim side and upheld the order of the City Magistrate passed on July 16, 2026. The City Magistrate’s order classified the disputed land as government property and ordered it to be vacated.
Following the District Court’s orders, the mosque was sealed late Friday night (4th September). Security in the area was ramped up as Police forces from over 10 police stations, along with the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), were deployed. All the entry points around the Collectorate were closed to prevent a law-and-order situation. Subsequently, the portion of the mosque that encroached on the government land was demolished
Interestingly, after the illegal portion of the mosque was demolished, a 20-foot-deep well emerged from under it. A team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was called to inspect the well.
