UP Congress chief detained as Saharanpur mosque demolition row simmers
UP police detained Congress leaders, including state chief Ajay Rai, as they tried to visit Saharanpur over a mosque demolition. An ASI team examined a well at the site.
Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday detained senior Congress leaders, including state unit president Ajay Rai, in Lucknow as they attempted to travel to Saharanpur in connection with the demolition of a historic mosque within the Collectorate complex. The leaders were held shortly after leaving the party office and released later in the evening.
Mr. Rai condemned the action, calling it authoritarian and alleging that the administration was acting on the directions of the state government to suppress opposition voices. He said the detention would not deter the party's democratic resistance against what he termed injustice and dictatorship.
Separately, a delegation from the Samajwadi Party submitted a memorandum in Saharanpur addressed to the President of India, seeking action against officials responsible for the demolition. SP MP Harendra Malik said the party had requested that the judicial process be followed and appealed for communal harmony and peace.
In a related development, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team examined a well discovered during debris removal at the site. Officials measured the well's depth, photographed its interior, and collected soil and brick samples for investigation, according to the Sadar Sub-Divisional Magistrate.