In a surprising move, a mosque built on government land in Gorakhpur is being demolished not by the authorities but by the mosque committee itself. The demolition follows a notice issued by the Gorakhpur Development Authority (GDA) 15 days ago, declaring the construction illegal. Fearing strict action from the administration, the mosque’s caretaker, Mutawalli, has voluntarily initiated the process of bringing down the structure.
The Abu Huraira Mosque, located near Ghosh Company Chowk, Gorakhpur was built on land allocated by the Municipal Corporation. However, the mosque committee constructed a four-story structure without obtaining the necessary approval for its building plan. Due to this violation, GDA labeled the construction illegal and issued a notice to the mosque’s caretaker, Shoaib, on February 15, 2025. The notice provided a 15-day deadline to remove the unauthorized structure, warning that failure to comply would result in government demolition using bulldozers, with the associated costs recovered from the mosque committee.
Fearing the impending administrative action, the mosque committee has started the demolition before the deadline expired. Interestingly, Shoaib, who initially opposed the GDA’s decision, had claimed that the mosque was built with municipal approval after an older structure was removed in January 2024. He stated, “We were allocated this land by the Municipal Corporation, yet GDA is now declaring it illegal.”
However, GDA authorities clarified that the issue was not related to land ownership but rather the unauthorized construction without proper approvals. GDA Vice President Anand Vardhan explained, “The problem is not about the land allotment but the construction without an approved blueprint. That is why the notice was issued, and action is being taken.”
The mosque committee had also challenged the GDA’s notice in the Commissioner’s Court, seeking a stay on the demolition. Initially, the hearing was scheduled for February 25, 2025, but was later postponed to March 3, 2025. However, before the matter could be resolved in court, the mosque committee took matters into its own hands and began dismantling the structure on its own accord.
This is not the first instance of illegal mosque demolition at this location. An earlier mosque was removed by the Municipal Corporation as part of an anti-encroachment drive. Following public demand, 624 square feet of land was allotted for mosque reconstruction, but the new structure was built without approval, leading to the current demolition process. With the demolition now underway, authorities emphasize that all constructions, regardless of religious significance, must adhere to legal regulations to avoid similar situations in the future.
