Midnight Bulldozer Action Triggers Clashes in Old Delhi
In a late-night operation that escalated into violence, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) deployed bulldozers past midnight on Tuesday to demolish illegal structures on public land near the historic Faiz-e-Elahi Mosque in the Turkman Gate area. The action, which followed the Delhi High Court's refusal to grant an interim stay, led to stone-pelting and clashes, resulting in injuries to police personnel and five arrests.
The Sequence of Events: From Demolition to Violence
The tense situation began to build on Tuesday evening when local residents started gathering near the mosque around 8 pm. This was approximately an hour after police barricaded the area in anticipation of the MCD's anti-encroachment drive. A fleet of 30 bulldozers arrived at the site at 11 pm, and the actual demolition commenced at 12:12 am.
Violence erupted about half an hour later. According to an FIR lodged by a police constable, at around 12:40 am, a crowd of 30-35 people began raising slogans against the police administration and moved towards the barricades. Despite announcements via loudhailer warning that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS were in force, the crowd did not disperse.
"They broke the barricades and started pelting stones. One person from the crowd snatched the government loudhailer from my hand and damaged it," stated the constable in the complaint. Police responded with mild force and tear gas shells to control the situation. At least five police personnel, including the Station House Officer (SHO) of Chandni Mahal police station, sustained injuries.
Aftermath and Official Statements
Additional police forces were deployed, and by 1:30 am, the area saw combing operations and foot patrolling. The situation was reportedly brought under control by 3 am. Five individuals—Shahnawaz, Mohammad Arib, Mohammad Kashif, Mohammad Adnan, and Mohammad Kaif—were arrested and later sent to judicial custody. Police are reviewing CCTV footage to identify others involved.
Senior officials emphasized that the drive was conducted under court orders. Madhur Verma, Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range), stated, "The demolition drive near Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid was carried out by the MCD in compliance with the Delhi High Court’s directions... The situation was brought under control after a brief disturbance." He added that meetings with the Peace Committee had been held beforehand, blaming "mischievous elements" for the disruption.
Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood asserted that obstructing lawful work was unacceptable. He clarified that the mosque and dargah remained "completely safe" and the demolition was limited to illegal commercial establishments on public land as per the court's directive.
The Land Dispute and Court Order
The core of the issue revolves around a land dispute. It is undisputed that a 0.195-acre plot housing the mosque and dargah is Waqf property and was not touched. However, the mosque committee had claimed that additional land outside this demarcated area also belonged to the Waqf.
This claim was rejected after a joint survey by officials from the Land and Development Office (L&DO), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and MCD on October 16 last year. In its December 22 order, the MCD declared any structure outside the 0.195-acre area as an encroachment and misuse of public land.
The mosque committee, in its plea to the High Court, had sought protection for an adjoining graveyard and an open ground used for community activities like medical camps and ration distribution. The MCD order countered that using such land for a marriage venue or clinic was a "blatant misuse of public land." The court ultimately allowed the anti-encroachment action to proceed.
