Stop-Work Order Issued After Demolition of Kolkata Heritage Mosque

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has issued a stop-work notice against the demolition of the heritage Ghoolam Rasool Mosque in the city. But the mosque is now almost ground to dust.

The local police station received the stop work order on April 9. Demolition had begun on March 21. Locals opposed to the demolition had filed an FIR that day. Even before that, on 13 February, the KMC had issued an order to the police saying the mosque was heritage and has to be protected against any alteration.

But the police did nothing.

Akhilur Rehman, who runs the Ghoolam Rasool Masjid Welfare Committee, and had filed the FIR the day demolition started, said, "We have no information about the 7th April order. We knew of the February order, we have a copy. We showed it to the police but they did nothing to stop the demolition."

Amiruddin Ahmed, member of the Ayesha Khatoon Masjid Welfare Committee which runs the mosque, said today, "We have not received any stop work order." Last Saturday, he had said, "We did not know this was a heritage building."

The mayor of the Trinamool-run Kolkata Municipal Corporation, currently campaigning for another term, cited law and order issues and the model code of conduct and said, "I cannot comment anything or I cannot direct anything."