The illegal mazars within the premises of King George’s Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, are set to be demolished, as the university administration has issued an order for their removal. On Friday (3rd April), the KGMU administration issued notices to the management committees of the mazars, directing their removal within 15 days from the receipt of the notice. The administration said that failure to comply with the notice would result in legal and administrative action, including “forcible removal”.
“We are not aware of the management or custodians of these mazars. Therefore, we pasted detailed notices on the walls of the shrines. If the directions mentioned in the notice are not complied with within the stipulated 15-day period, the university will decide on the next course of action,” KGMU spokesperson Professor and the nodal officer (land acquisition), K K Singh, said.
He added that eight mazars existed in the university campus, out of which three were removed during the past one-and-a-half years. The mazars that have been served notices are located on the land behind Building No. 2 of the Department of Microbiology, near the Trauma Centre, the new orthopaedic building and the Respiratory department. According to the university administration, the action is being taken in compliance with the guidelines and directions issued by the Supreme Court.
The mazar committees were given time to respond, but only one responded
The action regarding the illegal mazars on the KGMU campus began on January 22, 2026, when the university administration issued the first notice seeking information regarding the legitimacy of the mazars. The notice sought responses from the concerned committees about details of the mazars, such as construction dates, validity, and official documentation. The responses of the committees were to be submitted before the February 7, 2026, deadline. However, only one of the concerned committees responded within the deadline.
When the KGMU administration did not receive a satisfactory response from the committees, it issued a second notice on February 26, 2026. In the second notice, considering the period of Ramzan and the festival of Holi, the concerned committees were given additional time, by extending the deadline till April 4, 2026, which ended yesterday. The committees were directed to appear before the Registrar to present their case; however, no responses were received from most of the committees.
The only response was received from the committee managing a shrine located within the New Orthopaedic Complex. In a written response, the committee claimed that the shrine predates 1947 and has a historical significance. The university administration has launched an inquiry into the committee’s claim. A verification process is being conducted based on available documents and historical facts, after which a final decision will be taken regarding the mazar.
Islamic organisations irked by the action of the KGMU administration
The action of the KGMU administration had irked some Islamic organisations, who are demanding a withdrawal of the notices. The All India Shia Personal Law Board said that the administration is unfairly targeting the mazars. “The whole district remains jammed due to poor traffic management. Blaming mazars for this is merely an excuse to target them,” said Maulana Yasoob Abbas, General Secretary of the All India Shia Personal Law Board.
