Indian rights group warns of surge in mosque demolitions

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A prominent Indian civil rights organization has accused authorities of carrying out a systematic campaign of mosque demolitions across several states, warning that the removal of Muslim places of worship has evolved into a broader challenge to religious freedom and constitutional protections rather than isolated administrative actions.

The allegations were made by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) during a press conference in New Delhi, where lawyers, former lawmakers, religious leaders and human rights advocates presented evidence of an increasing pattern of mosque demolitions affecting Muslim communities in different parts of the country.

India has witnessed a growing number of demolition drives in recent years, particularly in states governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

Presenting APCR’s assessment, the organization’s National Secretary Nadeem Khan said at least 20 mosques had faced demolition or demolition-related action within a span of 15 days across the northern states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. 

He argued that mosque demolitions had increasingly become a recurring pattern intended to intimidate Muslim communities, comparing the trend to earlier waves of mob violence that rights groups say disproportionately affected Muslims.

One of the cases highlighted during the conference was the demolition of Jaipur’s Noorani Mosque in the western state of Rajasthan.

Community representatives said the three-story mosque, built in 1981, had been included in an official government survey conducted in 2003 and was listed on the Waqf Board’s official records before being demolished without prior notice to its management committee. The incident drew nationwide attention earlier this month after local residents questioned the legality of the action.

Lawyer Syed Sadat Ali, who represents several affected communities in Rajasthan, alleged that nearly 300 mosques in Barmer district alone had received demolition notices. He questioned why similar action was not being taken against religious structures belonging to other communities, arguing that the pattern suggested discriminatory enforcement rather than routine urban administration.

Several speakers called for greater judicial intervention, saying affected communities should continue challenging demolition orders through the courts even when immediate relief appears unlikely. Former Union Minister Salman Khurshid described the issue as a long legal struggle and urged citizens to exhaust every constitutional remedy available.

Former parliamentarian Mohammad Adeeb argued that officials responsible for unlawful demolitions should face criminal prosecution and be held personally liable for violating constitutional rights. Others stressed that administrative authorities should not be permitted to bypass due process while carrying out demolition drives.

Human rights advocate John Dayal told the gathering that pressure on Muslim institutions should be viewed alongside increasing restrictions faced by other religious minorities, including Christian organizations. He argued that attacks on minority institutions reflected a broader pattern affecting India’s religious diversity.

Several community representatives from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and other states also shared accounts of recent mosque demolitions and notices issued to religious institutions. They said communities were often given little opportunity to challenge official actions before demolition machinery arrived, leaving residents with limited legal recourse.