In the early hours of Tuesday, authorities demolished a madrasa in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar district following the allegations that it was built on government land. Within two hours, seven rooms, a shop, and half of the madrasa’s hall were razed.
According to media reports, the demolition scene witnessed the presence of the sub-divisional magistrate along with nearly 100 police officers from five police stations along with six bulldozers. The demolition started at 7:00 AM, from ‘Maktab Madrasa,’ covering the area of over 14,000 square feet. Domariyaganj SP MLA Sayyada Khatoon, SP district president Lalji Yadav, and more than 50 party workers also reached the site. As the information was received by the SP leaders, they reached the spot and stopped the action. However, the police stopped them, asking to let the police do their work.
The move was protested by them, and slogans were raised when police tried to stop them, leading to a minor brawl between the two sides. Officers later erected barricades and moved the protestors away from the demolition area. SP leader Kamal Ahmed Khan, meanwhile, attempted to move towards the madrasa; however, he was stopped by Domariyaganj police station inspector Shri Prakash Yadav. Meanwhile, tension remained in the area for around half an hour. The incident occurred in the Domariyaganj tehsil area, which falls around 50 kilometers from the district headquarters.
Officials said that around 400 children studied at the madrasa, and as per the government records, 9,000 square feet of the madrasa’s land is registered as a playground. An eviction order was issued in 2023. Madrasa caretaker Abdul Salam challenged the order before the DM’s court, and after three years of the proceedings, the Tehsildar’s court order was upheld by the government, and notice was issued for the removal of the alleged illegal encroachment.
When the alleged illegal encroachment was not removed within the stipulated period, the authorities demolished it in the presence of Domariyaganj SDM Vivekanand Mishra, Domariyaganj CO Brijesh Verma, and Bansi CO Shivendu Singh.
