• By Imran Zafar
  • Fri, 29 Dec 2023 03:25 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Sunehri Masjid Demolition: The New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) sought public opinion on its proposed demolition of the Sunehri Bagh Masjid, which is located near the Parliament. In a notice issued on Sunday, the civic body officials invited citizen’s objections and suggestions on the matter by January 1. The NDMC stated that the mosque is leading to traffic congestion and removing the same will help in traffic management in the area.   

The NDMC received hundreds of suggestions from Sunday on the email ID, chief.architect@ndmc.gov.in, requesting the civic body to not demolish the historical structure. Most of the emails received were from Muslim organisations and minority welfare bodies, news agency PTI reported. 

NDMC chairman Amit Yadav answered a question about the possible demolition of the mosque at the budget press conference. "We have sought public feedback on the Sunehri Masjid. We had got a request from the Delhi Traffic Police on traffic snarls being reported around the area. We had started the process and sought comments from various stakeholders. We had also approached the religious committee but the Delhi Waqf Board went to the court over the matter," he said.

Amit Yadav said that NDMC has requested public opinion on the issue and following the proper procedure. The public opinion will be reviewed and the heritage committee will also consider it.

Historical Importance Of Sunehri Masjid 

Sunehri Masjid is located in a green circle where six roads meet in Lutyens’ Delhi. Next to it are the IAF headquarters and Udyog Bhawan. The mosque dates back to pre-independent India and is listed as a Grade-III Heritage building as per a 2009 notification of the government. 

It is more than 150 years old and was built during the Mughal era by Roshan-ud-Daula, a nobleman. The mosque has a historical and cultural significance, as it was one of the places of worship that the British agreed to spare when they acquired the land around Delhi in 1911.

The Sunheri Masjid also hosted freedom fighters like Maulana Hasrat Mohani, who coined the slogan "Inquilab Zindabad'' and moved the resolution for complete independence from the British in 1921.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Waqf Board claims ownership of the land on which the mosque is built and challenged the NDMC’s notification in the Delhi High Court. The imam of the mosque, Abdul Aziz, has denied that the mosque causes traffic congestion and has submitted evidence to the NDMC.

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Reactions To NDMC’s Proposed Demolition Plan Of Sunehri Masjid  

Several Muslim organisations, minority groups, history lovers and Muslims have objected to the demolition of the mosque and asked NDMC to change its proposed plan. The NDMC’s notification about the demolition also raised criticism from the political sphere where several Muslim MPs raised concerns about the decision. 

Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi also wrote to the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC)’s chief architect opposing the proposal to remove Sunehri Bagh's Sunehri Masjid from the list of heritage buildings by the national capital's civic body.  

"It is not only unfortunate but astounding that the Council thinks that a mosque that has been functioning for the past 200 years is an "obstruction." It is also unfortunate that the Council has ignored its duty to conserve the heritage and beauty of the capital city," Owaisi said.

Lok Sabha MP from Amroha Danish Ali also raised objections to the proposed removal of the Sunehri Bagh Masjid in the national capital, saying the mosque has historical and archaeological importance.