In Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district, authorities on Thursday demolished a mosque in Rayee Buzurg village and claimed it was illegally constructed on government pond land.
The action, which had been under discussion for nearly a year, was carried out under tight security, with the entire area turned into a police cantonment.
Hundreds of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed, with officials including the SDM and City Magistrate monitoring the demolition.
A nearby marriage hall named Janta is also slated for demolition. According to officials, the Revenue Department had earlier inspected the site and served a notice declaring the mosque an encroachment.
Meanwhile, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit, and Badaun have been placed on high alert following last week’s protest and police crackdown in Bareilly’s Kotwali area over “I Love Muhammad” posters. Over 81 people have been arrested so far in connection with the clashes.
Security has been further tightened. Police, PAC, and RAF forces have been deployed, with drones monitoring sensitive areas. Intelligence agencies are also on high alert to prevent any escalation.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.
