INDIAN AUTHORITIES DEMOLISH 5 MOSQUES IN VARANASI IN 24 HOURS WITH HEAVY DEPLOYMENT

Mon 26 July 2026:

Over 1,800 personnel deployed as authorities clear land for the Rs 224-crore road-widening project aimed at decongesting the Kashi Vishwanath corridor.

Authorities in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi commenced the partial demolition of five mosques on Wednesday as part of the ongoing Dalmandi road-widening and redevelopment project. The operation, which continued into its second day on Thursday, is being conducted under a massive security blanket to prevent any law-and-order situation.

The demolition is a critical phase of the Rs 224-crore urban redevelopment initiative, which seeks to widen the heavily congested 650-meter Dalmandi street into a 17.4-meter-wide thoroughfare. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project on August 2, 2025. Officials confirmed that the widening is designed to improve vehicular access to Kashi Vishwanath Dham’s Gate-4 and ease chronic traffic bottlenecks on the busy Maidagin-Godowlia route.

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According to the district administration, a total of 187 properties have been identified for complete or partial acquisition under the project. This figure includes six mosques, with demolition currently underway on five of them. The affected religious structures are:

· Langde Hafiz Masjid

· Nesaran ki Masjid

· Rangile Shah Masjid

· Ali Raza Masjid

· Sangmarmar Masjid

· Mirza Karimullah Beg Masjid

While the management of Langde Hafiz Masjid has challenged the acquisition process before the Allahabad High Court, authorities confirmed that the managing committees of the remaining five mosques agreed to hand over the earmarked portions of their properties following months of negotiations with district officials. The administration deliberately postponed the demolition until after the conclusion of Muharram observances to respect religious sentiments.

Massive Security Deployment and Operation Details

To ensure a peaceful exercise, the police department deployed a heavy contingent of approximately 1,860 security personnel, including local police, PAC, CRPF, and RAF units. The Dalmandi area was entirely sealed off, with tin sheets erected at entry points to restrict public and media access. Officials stated that drone surveillance was maintained over the site throughout the operation.

Around 200 labourers were mobilized for the demolition, which began early Wednesday morning at the historic Mirza Karimullah Beg Masjid, located behind the Chowk police station. Witnesses reported that representatives of the mosque committees were present on rooftops to supervise the process and ensure that only the designated portions falling within the road alignment were removed.

The demolition of the centuries-old mosques has triggered concern among local Muslim residents, who fear the irreversible loss of religious heritage and have questioned the necessity of targeting places of worship. The muezzin of the Karimullah Beg Mosque stated that while the community would cooperate with lawful procedures, they would resist any “unconstitutional” overreach. Several local organizations have accused the authorities of disproportionately targeting Muslim neighborhoods under the guise of urban development.

In response, the district administration has appealed for calm, reiterating that only the portions of the structures obstructing the proposed road alignment are being removed. Officials emphasized that the core prayer halls and main structures of the mosques remain intact. “The action is strictly in accordance with the approved project plan and prior consent from the respective mosque committees,” a senior official told reporters.

The Public Works Department (PWD) has assured that compensation for the acquired properties will be disbursed according to G 3 standards. So far, the department has paid over Rs 62 crore in compensation for 105 acquired properties, excluding the mosque land. Officials added that over 75% of the total project work has already been completed and that the ongoing demolition is a final push to meet the project’s deadline.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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