‘150-year-old’ masjid razed to make way for Meerut RRTS

MEERUT: A mosque, believed to be over 150 years old, in a congested part of Meerut city is in the process of being completely pulled down by members of the minority community following orders from the local district administration for "coming in the way of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS)".
The gates and windows of the structure were removed on Friday, said a panel member of the mosque situated about 60 km from Delhi and 5-6 km from Meerut city centre.
Meerut city's additional district magistrate, Brijesh Kumar Singh, said, "The Delhi-Meerut road falls under the jurisdiction of Public Works Department (PWD), and National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is constructing the Delhi-Meerut-Ghaziabad RRTS corridor underneath the road, exactly where the mosque is located. So, both the departments requested the mosque's removal to clear the path for development work."
Singh added: "We are in discussions with the mosque authorities regarding compensation. We've not faced any confrontation from their side."
Mohd Waseem Khan, a masjid committee member, said, "The mosque was built in 1857 and has served the community.... NCRTC officials had approached us, and after discussions we were assured that the route would be diverted. However, a few days ago we came to know that the district administration has ordered the PWD to proceed with the mosque's removal. Two days back, officials informed us that we should either demolish the religious structure -- under Brahmpuri police limits -- ourselves or face a forced removal, as it was obstructing the RRTS route."
Waseem said they haven't received any written orders yet. He added, "We only want an adequate compensation -- whether in the form of land to build a new mosque, another constructed masjid, or financial assistance..."
Notably, in 1981, a legal case was filed against the mosque, and it was "briefly locked up". Then, after a legal tussle in the Supreme Court, the mosque was reopened and it became functional, until the recent demolition order by the authorities in UP.