Laksar mosque minaret row resurfaces, admin conducts fresh inspection

my uttarakhand news Bureau
Laksar (Haridwar), 14 May:  A fresh controversy has erupted over the under-construction Jaama Masjid in Sultanpur area of Haridwar district after claims regarding the height of its minaret once again surfaced on the social media. Following circulation of videos alleging that construction work on the mosque’s towering minaret has been restarted despite an earlier ban, the local administration rushed to the spot and carried out an inspection along with police officials.
SDM Anil Shukla and Circle Officer Devendra Negi reached Sultanpur with a police team and inspected the site along with members associated with the mosque committee. However, the administration clarified after the inspection that no fresh construction work on the minaret was seen during the inspection. The officials also claimed that only cleaning work and finishing work on incomplete portions of the first floor were being carried out at the site.
According to the administration, construction of the minaret had already been stopped earlier and the ban on its construction would continue. The villagers also informed the officials that only stone cleaning and finishing work inside the mosque premises is being undertaken and that no new construction activity relating to the minaret is taking place.
The issue first came into prominence in 2025 when reports and videos on social media claimed that what was being projected as Uttarakhand’s largest mosque and one of the tallest minarets in the state was under construction in Sultanpur Nagar Panchayat area of Haridwar district. Following the controversy, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had reportedly taken cognisance of the matter and directed an inquiry.
Subsequently, the Haridwar district administration halted the construction work and issued notices after it emerged that the mosque map had allegedly not been approved by the Haridwar Roorkee Development Authority. The officials had stated at the time that requisite permissions from the district administration and the development authority had not been obtained for the construction.
The matter has now resurfaced nearly a year later after fresh claims circulated online alleging that work on the mosque structure had resumed. However, the administration today claimed that no prohibited construction activity was found during the latest inspection.
Jama Masjid Committee Manager Mohammad Kamruddin stated that the committee is fully cooperating with the administration and urged people not to pay attention to rumours circulating on social media. He asserted that the administration had already clarified that no construction of the minaret would be allowed without permission and that no such unauthorised work was being undertaken.
SDM Anil Shukla also stated that information had surfaced through social media claiming that construction work was continuing despite the earlier restrictions. He said the local administration and police carried out a detailed inspection, during which it was found that only finishing work on the flooring and cleaning activities were being undertaken. He added that the mosque committee had assured officials that even this work would be stopped if any objection was raised by the administration. According to him, no new dispute regarding the height of the minaret had emerged during the inspection.
It may be recalled that the Supreme Court, in earlier directions issued in 2009 and 2016, had emphasised that no religious structure should be constructed without prior permission from the district administration. The objective behind such directions was to ensure that religious structures are not built on encroached government land and that all safety and structural standards are properly followed.
According to official data available with the Uttarakhand government, more than 722 mosques exist across the state, with Haridwar district accounting for the highest number. Concerns have also been raised in some quarters regarding alleged expansion and large-scale construction activities at certain religious sites without formal approvals from authorities. The officials state that obtaining official permissions generally requires submission of land ownership documents, institutional registration details, financial records and various no-objection certificates from departments concerned.
Questions have also been raised over whether all mandatory norms relating to fire safety, structural design and permissible building height have been complied with in the Sultanpur mosque project. As per established building norms, residential and commercial structures are subject to prescribed height limits and various departmental clearances. Sources familiar with the matter claim that exceptionally tall structures may also require specialised structural approvals from competent technical institutions.
Haridwar District Magistrate Mayur Dixit stated that when the issue had first come to the administration’s notice, notices were issued and construction activity was halted. He added that, if any fresh construction activity is now found to be taking place, the matter would again be thoroughly investigated by the administration.