Violence in Uttarakhand: Madrasa & Mosque Demolition Drive: What Happened in Haldwani?

Rioting and stone pelting broke out yesterday in the heart of Uttarakhand as a madrasa and a mosque, reportedly built over encroached land, were razed. Reinforcements have been deployed to prevent further escalations. District authorities issued shoot-at-sight orders against the people involved in violence. According to the Wire and the Observer post, six Muslims have been killed in the aftermath, whereas the ADG confirmed five deaths. The whole district is under curfew, and internet service is also suspended.

Speaking on the incidents, DM Vandana Singh said, “The notice issued on January 30 required the encroachment to be removed within three days or for ownership documents to be provided. They sent an application and requested time to appeal to the High Court, agreeing to abide by their decision,” but more time was not given as they had already been given much. CM Pushkar Singh Dhami echoed the same sentiment.

Moreover, she also said, “that a mob had flocked around a police station as many officers were trapped inside and also claimed that it was a premeditated attack as collected stones were found on the rooftops.”

However, people had not been shown any order to demolish the site, and the authorities marched ahead without listening to them. Additionally, women were beaten and dragged by male police officers, and four men were injured when they resisted, eyewitnesses told the Wire and, according to videos surfacing on Twitter.

Local councillor Shakeel Ahmad stated, “The next date of hearing was Feb 14. We requested to stop the administration, but they did not listen… if they had waited for the final decision of HC, there would have been no resistance.” Additionally, a copy of the order by Scroll shows that Justice Pankaj Purohit only recorded the presence of the parties and listed the matter for February 14, substantiating Ahmad’s claim.

Safia Malik, one of the custodians of the madrasa, had sought interim relief from the High Court, claiming that the land had been leased out in 1937 and sold to her family in 1994, whose renewal plea was pending since 2007.

The municipal commissioner agreed that demolition was not backed by a court order and further said that it was carried out under legal procedures. It wouldn’t have happened if Malik had obtained a stay, but her counsel refuted it and said no prior notice was given to them.

According to a video posted by Hate Detector, a Twitter page, a mob was seen pelting stones and uttering Islamophobic slurs. Some Twitter accounts were also seen fanning the flames by making conspiratorial statements like Lukky Vaishnav claiming, “20 years ago there was 1% Muslims in Haldwani, now it’s 20%. Wake up Hindus before it’s too late for you.” In reality, Haldwani had over 80,000 Muslim residents, which dropped down to 67,559 in 2011, according to the Quint.

Sumit Hridayesh, a Congress MLA stated,“that the officials acted in haste and disregarded the locality, saying it’s a black day for Haldwani.”

This is not the first time religious structures have been deemed illegal in Uttarakhand as last year BJP claimed they had torn down 300 illegal mazars within 90 days, as reported by News18.

Team Profile

Rahul TiwariNews Writer

Rahul Tiwari, a law student, possesses a keen interest in politics, movies, music, and the pop culture landscape. Equipped with an unyielding spirit for writing, he navigates through his diverse interests with enthusiasm and dedication.

Latest entries

• English10 March 2024Rahul Gandhi to Contest from His Former Seat of Wayanand in the Lok Sabha Elections, Shashi Tharoor to Contest from His Citadel; Everything You Need to Know About Their List
• English8 March 2024Being Critical of Kashmir’s Abrogation is not an Offence; SC Quashes Case Against a Kashmiri Professor for Condemning the Scraping of Article 370
• English7 March 2024SBI Misses Deadline for Electoral Bonds Disclosure; Opposition Calls It Dubious
• English7 March 2024GN Saibaba, Former DU Professor & Scholar, Granted Acquittal from Bombay HC in an Alleged Maoist Case