Turkman Gate Mosque Encroachments Razed Amid Clashes in Delhi

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In a pre-dawn operation, municipal authorities in Delhi tore down encroachments on public land near the historic Syed Elahi Masjid in the Turkman Gate area, sparking clashes with local residents. The demolition, which began at 1:30 am on Wednesday, involved 32 bulldozers and resulted in minor injuries to five police officers and the arrest of five people. The action, carried out by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) with the assistance of the Delhi Police, targeted encroachments on 36,428 sq. ft. of the Ramleela Ground. The mosque, which was built in the 17th century, is situated on a plot leased by the Land & Development Office to the mosque committee in 1940. The demolition came hours after the Delhi High Court issued a notice to the MCD and LDO on a petition filed by the mosque managing committee, challenging an earlier decision by the civic body to remove the encroachments. The high court had given the MCD and Public Works Department (PWD) three months to clear 38,940 sq. ft. of encroachments near Ramlila Ground in November last year. The operation was initially planned for 8 am but was brought forward to avoid law-and-order disruptions during the day. However, the authorities faced resistance from local residents, who pelted stones at the police. The police responded with a lathi charge and tear-gas shelling, leading to the arrest of five men. Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range) Madhur Verma stated that 'minimal force' was used to disperse the crowd, adding that sticks were only used to scare miscreants away. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan said that several meetings were held with stakeholders before the demolition drive, and they were informed that it was a court-mandated order. Local residents, however, alleged that the police used excessive force and continued tear-gas shelling till 3:30 am. They also claimed that the demolition was carried out despite pending court cases and the importance of the structures being razed. The Delhi Home Minister, Ashish Sood, condemned the stone-pelting incident, stating that it was 'extremely unfortunate.' He added that the action was taken in compliance with the court's directions and that obstructing or disrupting work within the framework of law is unacceptable. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA, Amanatullah Khan, termed the demolition drive as an attempt to 'spoil the atmosphere of Delhi and the country.' He added that the Turkman Gate issue falls under the 123 waqf properties and that the demolition was carried out illegally.