Railway Demolition Drive Near Krishna Janmasthan In Mathura, 135 Houses In Minority Populated Area Being Razed

A demolition drive was initiated early on Wednesday (9 August) morning near Mathura's Shri Krishna Janmasthan which is considered a "sensitive" area.

In the presence of local authorities, railway officials, and a substantial police force, bulldozer was used to demolish more than 100 houses in the Nai Basti locality.

This area, predominantly inhabited by a minority population, allegedly featured "illegally developed" structures on government land.

Although notifications had been issued to the residents beforehand, they had taken the matter to the civil court, with the next hearing scheduled for 21 August.

Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, locals reported that the demolition continued throughout the day. A total of 135 houses accommodating over 200 families had been identified for demolition.

Nitin Garg, the Divisional Work Engineer of Railways, stated that the removal of structures constructed without authorization on railway land was being carried out in accordance with the proper process. The land was needed for converting the Mathura to Vrindavan railway line from narrow gauge to broad gauge.

Rajesh Kumar Saini, the lawyer representing the affected families, explained, "After receiving notices from the railways, we filed a petition in the civil court. Subsequently, the court issued a notice to the railways, seeking their response. Last month, authorities requested more time to respond, but no response has been provided so far. Despite the case being under judicial consideration, the demolitions are taking place."

Several affected residents expressed their frustration. Mohd Naseem, 55, whose house was demolished, stated, "Authorities are turning a blind eye to us. They disregarded our property documents. We are facing discrimination due to our religious identity."

Yakub Shah, 66, another resident, lamented, "I've spent my entire life here. Our homes are being unjustly razed. We weren't even allowed to retrieve our belongings."

Sayeed Ahmed, 84, voiced the sentiment of dispossession, saying, "Our ancestors had allocated a portion of their land to the British government for a new railway line in 1888. Today, we are being forcibly removed from our own land."

Prashasti Srivastava, the Public Relations Officer of the Agra railway division, affirmed that "proper legal procedures were followed before the operation," and mentioned that a high-speed rail corridor was proposed for trains like Vande Bharat.

Shri Krishna Janmasthan, also referred to as 'Janmabhoomi' in legal documents, is located adjacent to the Shahi Idgah mosque. The ownership of the mosque is presently being contested in court.

Multiple cases have been filed to remove the mosque, which stands on the Krishna Janmasthan and was constructed during the 16th century on the 13.37-acre premises of the Katra Keshav Dev temple, on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. In May, all pending cases were transferred to the Allahabad High Court.

Notably, a similar case emerged in January when the Supreme Court halted the Uttarakhand High Court's orders, which had permitted the "use of force" to displace 4,000 families residing on land claimed by the railways in Haldwani.

The Supreme Court emphasized that a large population cannot be forcefully uprooted without examining their rights.