NEW DELHI/LUCKNOW – Tensions erupted once again in Lucknow’s King George Medical University (KGMU) as bulldozers returned on Sunday for a second consecutive day of demolitions, razing a madrasa, shops, and huts near the shrine of Shahmina Shah Baba. The demolition, carried out in the presence of a heavy police force, has sparked widespread controversy, with accusations of government overreach, escalating Islamophobic rhetoric, and the victimisation of Muslims under the guise of enforcing encroachment laws.
On Sunday, the action continued from 11 am and lasted for over nine hours. The university administration claimed the madrasa, built allegedly illegally for two years, was part of a broader attempt to remove encroachments from the area. Over 10 shops and 36 huts were also demolished, all close to the university’s medical complex. The forced removals have been described by locals as an excessive use of state power, while the madrasa’s destruction has raised concerns about the increasing marginalisation of Muslim institutions under government scrutiny.
While the authorities assert that notices for the removal of illegal structures were issued six months ago, many see the move as part of a larger pattern of discrimination. “This is not just about encroachments; it’s an attempt to bring Muslim lives and property under government control, something that feels eerily like state-sanctioned hooliganism,” said a resident who wished to remain anonymous.
Muslim leaders in Lucknow have strongly condemned the demolition, viewing it as an attack on the Muslim community’s religious and cultural identity. “The madrasa was not just a religious institution; it was a place of education for our children,” said Syed Ameen, a prominent local Muslim leader. “Its demolition is not merely the removal of an illegal structure but a message to the Muslim community that our presence is unwanted in this city.”
Many Muslim activists have expressed frustration at what they perceive as a targeted approach. “It is clear that this operation, like others before it, is disproportionately aimed at Muslim properties. Why are we always the ones losing our homes, businesses, and places of worship?” questioned Fatima Begum, a resident of the area. “This is an attack on our dignity, and it will only fuel more resentment and division.”
The demolition operation, which began on Saturday, was preceded by violent clashes. Shopkeepers, angered by the removal of their businesses, chased and beat up KGMU professors and resident doctors. Two professors, along with an assistant professor and a resident doctor, sustained injuries during the attack. Eyewitnesses reported that the violence unfolded in full view of the police, who were unable to prevent the assault.
“The situation was chaotic, and even though we were being attacked in front of the police, no immediate help came. We were left vulnerable,” recounted a KGMU resident doctor. “The police intervened only after the situation escalated beyond control.”
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.
