Violence erupted early on Wednesday in old Delhi during a court-mandated anti-encroachment drive around the century-old Faiz-e-Elahi mosque near Ramlila Maidan in which at least five policemen were injured in a stone attack by locals and miscreants.
Police sources said the violence broke out when the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was carrying out demolition on the land adjoining the mosque and a nearby graveyard at Turkman Gate on the orders of Delhi High Court. The mosque was not damaged during the drive.
The police used “minimal” force and fired teargas to disperse the crowd that gathered on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday after rumours spread that the mosque was being demolished. Five people, including a juvenile, were arrested, while 15 others were detained. Those arrested have been identified as Mohd Arib, 25, Mohd Kaif, 23, Mohd Kashif, 25, Mohd Hamid, 30, besides a 17-year-old boy.
Sources said that anticipating law and order problems, the demolition drive, which was supposed to begin at 8am, started at 1.30am instead. A video circulating among residents’ groups in the neighbourhood showed bulldozers and earth-movers razing structures adjoining the mosque as police personnel kept watch.
Some commercial establishments, including a diagnostic centre and a banquet hall, were demolished, MCD deputy commissioner Vivek Kumar said.
In a statement, Delhi police said teargas shells had been used to disperse the crowds, adding that normality was restored shortly after the incident. “Stones were thrown at the police at night and we used minimal force to push them back. Apart from that, the overall process was very smooth,” deputy commissioner Nidhin Valsan said.
Five persons were detained following the incident, joint commissioner Madhur Verma told reporters. He said the police had also obtained images of the rest of those involved and they would be arrested soon.
A probe revealed that tempers flared after a local uploaded a video message urging people to step out in large numbers and claiming bulldozers were being used to demolish a mosque. Soon, 100-150 people gathered at the site and some resorted to stone-pelting and hurled glass bottles at police personnel and MCD workers, injuring five cops.
Sources said the MCD had concluded that no documentary evidence had been produced to verify the ownership or lawful possession of the contested land by the managing committee of the Delhi Waqf Board.
The MCD decision came after the high court had in November given the civic body and the Delhi Public Works Department three months to clear 38,940sqft of encroachments at Ramlila Ground near the Turkman Gate.
Delhi home minister Ashish Sood said stone pelting during the anti-encroachment drive was “unfortunate” and warned that violence would not be tolerated.
According to him, some commercial establishments had illegally come up around the mosque, necessitating action in compliance with the directions of the court.
“Obstructing or disrupting work being carried out within the framework of law is completely unacceptable. Certain criminal and mischievous elements resorted to demonstrations and violence, which cannot be tolerated,” he said, adding that individuals involved in the incident had been identified and
legal action was being taken against them.
“I want to clearly state that the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque is completely safe. The action is limited only to those illegal commercial establishments that fall within the scope of the court’s orders. There is no arbitrariness or mala fide intent on the part of the government in this matter,” Sood said.
The minister also appealed to the people not to fall prey to any kind of provocation.
“Strict action will be taken against those who take the law into their own hands under provocation,” he said, urging people to cooperate with the administration in identifying anti-social elements and help maintain mutual harmony and peace.
