India demolishes mosques in border areas with Nepal
Indian authorities have demolished more than 250 buildings in the eastern border districts of Uttar Pradesh, including approximately 20 mosques, citing them as "illegal" and "encroachments on state land," according to The Times of India.
The clearance operation, spanning six border districts, aims to reclaim public lands and strengthen security in sensitive frontier areas, media reports state.
Officials in the Pimpri-Chinchwad region have issued notices to "unauthorized religious structures, including 18 mosques and 13 temples," demanding their removal within two weeks.
However, representatives of mosque and temple associations argue that "our area has at least 10 mosques which must be over 40 years. Some temples are 50 years old, a time when PCMC itself did not exist. We have never received any notice from the municipal corporation in the past."
Trustees and committee members managing the religious sites have been ordered to dismantle the alleged illegal constructions within the specified timeframe.
Niyaz Siddiqui, president of the Raza Masjid committee, said: "We will not let the authorities take any action against the temples and mosques in our area. The communities will stand together to save the religious structures."
As previously reported, incidents of violence and discrimination against Christians are also increasing across India.
