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Tension in Delhi's Turkman Gate after encroachment around mosque demolished in pre-dawn drive
Other videos showed police firing what appeared to be tear-gas shells and groups of people pelting stones at security personnel
Tension gripped old Delhi early on Wednesday after civic authorities and law enforcement agencies began tearing down encroachments abutting a century-old mosque near Turkman Gate.
The demolition was supposed to begin at 8 am but was started at 1.30 am instead. A video circulating among residents’ groups in the neighbourhood showed bulldozers and earth-movers razing parts of a mosque, as companies of police personnel kept watch.
Other videos showed police firing what appeared to be tear-gas shells and groups of people pelting stones at security personnel marching through the area. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos. A Delhi police officer told HT that at least five police personnel were injured.
The demolition was carried out even as the Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice in a petition filed by the managing committee of Masjid Syed Elahi, challenging the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) decision to remove alleged encroachments from land adjoining the mosque and kabristan located at Ramlila Maidan.
Madhur Verma, Joint CP (Central Range) said, “Pursuant to the directions of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi, the MCD carried out a demolition drive at the encroached area in the vicinity of Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid, Turkman Gate, near Ramlila Maidan, Delhi, in the early morning hours of January 7. In order to ensure smooth conduct of the demolition programme and to maintain public order, comprehensive law and order arrangements were put in place by Delhi Police.”
Verma said that the “entire area was meticulously divided into nine zones, each placed under the supervision of an officer of the rank of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police. Adequate deployment of police force was made at all sensitive points.” Over 10 companies of the Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed.
Verma said, that before the drive several coordination meetings were held with members of the Aman Committee and other local stakeholders, “with the objective of maintaining peace and preventing any untoward incident.”
He added that “during the course of the demolition, a few miscreants attempted to create disturbance by indulging in stone pelting. The situation was promptly brought under control through measured and minimal use of force, ensuring that normalcy was restored without escalation.”
On being asked about the alleged use of tear gas on protesters, a Delhi police officer, who asked not to be named, said, “Minimal force was used.”
Officials had earlier said that the Red Fort blast suspect Umar un-nabi had visited the mosque before the November 10 explosion that killed 12 people (including Nabi) and injured over 20.
On December 22, 2025, MCD issued notice declaring that all structures beyond 0.195 acres were liable to be demolished — as part of an anti-encroachment drive—concluding that no documentary evidence had been produced to establish ownership or lawful possession of the land by the managing committee or the Delhi Waqf Board (DWB).
To be sure, the 0.195-acre houses the mosque.
That move came after the high court, on November 12, 2025, gave MCD and the Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) three months to clear 38,940 sq ft of encroachments at Ramlila Ground near Turkman Gate. This included portions of a road, a footpath, a banquet hall, a car park and a private diagnostics centre.
The order was based on a joint survey conducted in October 2025 by the MCD, DDA, PWD, L&DO, the Union ministry of urban development, revenue department, and police.
Following the notice, MCD officials visited the site to mark the encroached area on Sunday, but faced resistance from locals, prompting increased police deployment.
A 32-year-old man, whose mobile phone shop is near the masjid, and he also lives near Turkman Gate, told HT, "We have not left our home since midnight. Police came here around 1 am. There were many people who were protesting. Police threatened them when they pelted stones. We don't know what happened but police also used tear gas shells. The situation seems normal now.”
