Ayodhya Development Authority gives final nod to construction of Dhannipur mosque
Ayodhya (UP) (PTI): The Ayodhya Development Authority has given the final clearance for the construction of Dhannipur mosque here as mandated by the Supreme Court in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi verdict.
A mosque, a hospital, a research institute, a community kitchen and a library are to be constructed by the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) trust on five acres of land given by the Uttar Pradesh government. The construction was delayed for over two years due to pending clearance and matter of change of land use by the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA).
"We have approved the project of Ayodhya mosque in the board meeting held on Friday. The sanctioned maps will be handed over to the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) after few departmental formalities which are to be completed within a couple of days," Gaurav Dayal, Ayodhya Divisional Commissioner, told PTI.
IICF secretary Athar Hussain said the trust will soon hold a meeting after all the clearances are made and finalise the plan for the construction of the mosque.
"We laid the foundation of the mosque on January 26, 2021. We chose that day
because on this day, India's Constitution came into effect more than seven decades ago," he said.
"The Dhannipur mosque will be bigger than Babri Masjid. It will not be modelled on the structure which once stood in Ayodhya," Hussain told PTI.
In a historic judgment on November 9, 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the construction of a Ram temple at a disputed site in Ayodhya and asked the government to allocate five acres of land for the construction of the mosque at a prominent place in the district.
The IICF trust, constituted for the construction of the mosque, announced its plans to build a hospital, a community kitchen, a library and a research institute, along with the mosque.
Hussain said the upcoming hospital will serve humanity in the true spirit of Islam as taught by the Prophet 1,400 years ago.
"The hospital won't be the usual concrete structure, but will be in sync with the architecture of the mosque, replete with calligraphy and Islamic symbols," he said.
"While the hospital will treat the sick and infirm, the community kitchen will feed the hungry, blurring barriers of religion, caste and creed. The green belt at the site will create awareness on climate change and the research institute will study the contribution of Muslims in the freedom struggle and the legacy of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood which helped India attain independence," the IICF secretary added.
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Allahabad HC orders probe into 'reinstatement' of teacher in UP's Barabanki
Lucknow (PTI): The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered a probe by the special task force (STF) into alleged irregularities in the rejoining of a teacher at City Intermediate College in Barabanki, observing that the reinstatement appeared to be prima facie illegal.
The court also directed the recovery of the salary paid to the teacher during the disputed period.
A bench of Justice Rajeev Singh passed the order on a petition filed by the college management committee. The court expressed doubts over the roles of the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Barabanki, the college principal and the teacher concerned and hence, directed a detailed inquiry into the matter.
Taking note of alleged manipulation of records and misleading submissions, the court ordered the immediate transfer of the Barabanki DIOS to ensure a fair probe. It also directed the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the then joint director of education of the Ayodhya division.
In its order, the court found that the teacher, Abhay Kumar, was initially appointed as an assistant teacher in 2018 but joined an Eklavya Model Residential School in Chhattisgarh as a lecturer in June 2024 without obtaining permission from the management. His subsequent request to retain the lien was rejected.
Despite this, he was allowed to rejoin the Barabanki College in September 2025 on the directions of the joint director of education and the DIOS, and was even paid the salary for October 2025. The court termed the rejoining "wholly illegal" and lacking any legal basis.
The bench also expressed concern over lapses in communication within the education department and directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to ensure that official orders are communicated through email and WhatsApp as well, to prevent disputes.
The matter is next listed for hearing on May 28 when a compliance report is sought.
