Hyderabad, Sept. 5 -- All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday strongly condemned the demolition of a century-old mosque at the Saharanpur Collectorate premises in Uttar Pradesh, asserting that "religious freedom is not dependent on mercy" and questioning the constitutional safeguards for Muslims.

The mosque was demolished by local authorities at around 5:00 AM on Saturday following a judicial order that upheld its removal on allegations of illegal encroachment on government land.

Reacting to the demolition, Owaisi said historical records dating back to 1911 establish the existence of the mosque and argued that the place of worship predates the civil collectorate building.

"The ...