Saharanpur mosque demolition: 'Why action at 5am?' Owaisi, Akhilesh question UP govt

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to demolish an allegedly illegal mosque in Saharanpur district at 5am on Saturday. The early morning timing suggests the BJP-led Yogi government was attempting to prevent the matter from reaching a higher court due to their wrongdoing, according to Owaisi.

The Samajwadi Party leader added that if the Yogi Adityanath-led government believes they will gain electoral advantage by flouting the law and trampling on fundamental rights, they are mistaken. Owaisi assured legal assistance to the mosque authorities and urged them to approach the high court or the Supreme Court for justice. Akhilesh Yadav echoed similar sentiments, stating that the mosque's destruction deprived people of their right to justice.

Both leaders accused the BJP of harboring hatred for mosques and communal animosity. The mosque was demolished after a district court rejected the mosque committee's appeal against an earlier demolition order on September 2, following a petition filed by Bajrang Dal regional convener Vikas Tyagi in 2025.