India: Tensions Rise in Bareilly Over Mosque Minarets

Tensions have escalated in Bareilly following the construction of three minarets at the Mansoori Mosque, which Hindu organizations claim were built illegally, Muslim Mirror reported yesterday.

Protests erupted as demonstrators, led by a Hindutva group and local councillor Dheeraj Kumar, demanded action against the alleged unauthorized construction. In response to the unrest, local authorities have begun demolishing the minarets.

The situation intensified with the arrival of local leader Tauqeer Raza, prompting a significant police presence to maintain order. This incident in Bareilly follows a similar controversy in Sanjauli, Shimla, where the construction of a mosque has faced backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Hindu groups, and local residents. Protests in Shimla have called for the demolition of what they deem an “illegal” mosque structure, highlighting ongoing tensions surrounding religious constructions in the region.

Muslim places of worship have long faced harassment in India by extremist Hindutva groups and supporters of nationalist ideologies.