Saharanpur authorities demolish ‘illegal’ mosque; SP MP Iqra Hasan prevented from reaching site

An “illegal” mosque being demolished in the presence of SDM, the City Magistrate and the Police Force in Uttar Pradesh. Photo: X/@ANINewsUP. Local authorities in Saharanpur demolished a mosque located inside the District Magistrate’s office complex on Saturday (September 5, 2026), in the presence of the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and the City Magistrate, amid a heavy police presence.The Court of the City Magistrate declared the mosque illegal last month and issued an order for its demolition.#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: An illegal mosque, constructed within the Collectorate premises in Saharanpur, being demolished in the presence of SDM, City Magistrate and Police Force. The Court of City Magistrate had declared the mosque illegal last month and issued an order for its… pic.twitter.com/6Z8ZMLqVFd— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 5, 2026Lok Sabha MP Iqra Hasan from Kairana, who was scheduled to visit Saharanpur on Saturday (September 5, 2026), was placed under house arrest. The MP alleged that as she was leaving her home to travel to Saharanpur, a large police force arrived at her residence and prevented her from leaving.The Samajwadi Party (SP) alleged the BJP is continuously trying to “stoke unrest in the State along communal lines before the 2027 Assembly polls”.“Iqra Hasan is an MP from our party, and we have received information that she has been placed under house arrest along with the local MLA and others. The BJP is completely trampling constitutional rights. There can be no greater threat to democracy than placing an MP under house arrest,” said Afzal Ansari, Lok Sabha MP from Ghazipur and senior SP leader.Regarding the step of demolition, Mr. Ansari said, “It is the responsibility of a public representative to go to the spot, talk to the people, and resolve the issues. Therefore, this is an undemocratic step by the government, and we condemn it. As we move closer to the 2027 elections, the BJP is continuously trying to stoke unrest in the State on communal lines.”VIDEO | Saharanpur: Security forces deployed across various locations following mosque demolition following a court's order declaring the structure as illegal.(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p) pic.twitter.com/VrspJtcEgn— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 5, 2026 Published - September 05, 2026 01:14 pm IST