The district administration stepped in to stop construction work at the curtained Kachari Mosque near the Naurangabad intersection in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, after complaints were raised about illegal activity at the site.
The move led to a tense situation on the ground, as leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and activists from Hindu organisations gathered there and openly opposed the construction.
Officials said the mosque is situated near the Collectorate in the Lakhimpur Sadar Kotwali area. After information about illegal construction reached the authorities, a revenue clerk arrived at the spot along with police personnel. During the inspection, it was found that a wall and other structures were being built next to the mosque complex, on the side facing a drain.
The accountant present at the site ordered an immediate halt to the work and asked the labourers to leave. Media reports also pointed out that around six months ago, a case had been registered against the same mosque over illegal construction, but despite that, work had started again.
The mosque’s muezzin said the construction was meant to stop people from urinating in the open near the drain and to maintain privacy. Hindu organisations questioned this explanation and termed the construction illegal. The administration has stopped the work and started an investigation into the matter.
