Delhi Mosque Action: People in Delhi woke up to a controversial bulldozer action by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), in which the civic body demolished encroached structures near the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque in Delhi's Ramlila Maidan area early Wednesday. The action drew violent protests by the locals as they pelted stones at police personnel, leaving five of them injured.
Police used mild force and teargas to quell the protest that broke out on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday and took five people, including a juvenile, into custody. The civic body, on the Delhi High Court's direction, was carrying out a demolition drive on land adjoining the mosque and a nearby graveyard at Turkman Gate. Some commercial establishments, including a diagnostic centre and banquet hall, were demolished during the drive.
No Damages To The Mosque: MCD
MCD Deputy Commissioner Vivek Kumar said no damage was caused to the mosque. Additional Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan said MCD, which owns the land, scheduled the demolition for the intervening night of January 6 and 7. They had informed the police in advance about the proposed drive and sought deployment of force for maintaining law and order.
Who Owns The Encroached Land?
According to the MCD, the land belongs to the civic body. However, the managing committee of the mosque claims it belongs to the Delhi Waqf Board. MCD claimed that no documentary evidence has been produced to establish ownership or lawful possession of the land by the managing committee of the mosque or the Delhi Waqf Board. Now, the matter is sub-judice, and a plea is under consideration in the Delhi High Court.
0.195 Acres Land For Mosque Given On Lease
The MCD's counsel claims that land measuring 0.195 acres (934 sq. yards) was leased on February 15, 1940, and that no action is being proposed in respect of the land covered under the lease. The 0.195-acre land houses the mosque.
Here Are The Other Highlights Of The Legal Case
- Hours before the demolition, the Delhi High Court sought the responses of the Ministry of Urban Development, MCD and Delhi Waqf Board on Tuesday on a plea challenging an order issued by authorities to remove alleged encroachments from a land adjoining the Syed Faiz Elahi mosque and graveyard at Turkman Gate. It listed the matter for further hearing on April 22.
- Justice Amit Bansal issued notices to the MCD, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Ministry of Urban Development's Land and Development Office (L&DO), Public Works Department (PWS) and Delhi Waqf Board on a petition filed by the managing committee of the Masjid Syed Faiz Elahi.
- The court said the "matter requires consideration" and asked the authorities to file their replies to the plea within four weeks.
- The petition has challenged the December 22, 2025 order of the MCD, declaring that all structures beyond 0.195 acres of land are liable to be demolished and that no documentary evidence has been produced to establish ownership or lawful possession of the land by the managing committee of the mosque or the Delhi Waqf Board.
- The MCD's decision was taken in terms of a November 12, 2025 order of a division bench of the high court that granted three months to the civic body and the PWD to clear 38,940 sq. ft of encroachments at the Ramlila Ground near Turkman Gate.
- In October 2025, a joint survey was conducted by the authorities, in which it was recorded that there were encroachments on the land, certain portions of which belonged to authorities, including the MCD, PWD and L&DO.
(With PTI inputs)