Court decision must be awaited, authorities should show restraint: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on MCD demolition drive

New Delhi: Reacting to the MCD-led demolition drive carried out near the Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid in the Turkman Gate area, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Vice President Malik Motasim Khan on Wednesday said that the matter is currently before the court and, until a verdict is delivered, the authorities should exercise restraint.

Speaking to IANS, Malik Motasim Khan said, “The basic point is that the matter is pending before the court. Until a decision comes from the court, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and other authorities should show patience and restraint.”

Referring to the dispute surrounding the mosque near Turkman Gate, he said that Muslims maintain the land belongs to the Waqf and is their property, while the government claims it is government land and an encroachment.

“Who will decide this dispute? When the Muslim side has also approached the court, patience must be maintained by all parties,” he said.

Khan further explained that Muslims believe the properties in question are Waqf land and that they are the rightful owners, while the government maintains that the land belongs to government authorities.

“This is where the conflict lies. My question is, where is the problem when the Muslim side has gone to court? The authorities should have waited for the court’s decision,” he said.

He expressed concern over the manner in which the demolition drive was carried out.

“If demolition drives are conducted, people themselves know how much land belongs to the mosque and what may be encroached. There is a clear need for patience in this matter. It can be resolved easily, but instead, the authorities arrive before dawn with curfew-like conditions, deploying bulldozers and trucks in large numbers. What is the need for all this? It only creates panic among people,” Khan told IANS.

He added that when police personnel arrive in large numbers during the night, people fear that their places of worship are being demolished.

“In such an environment, rumours spread quickly — whether the mosque itself is being demolished or only the encroachment around it. How is the general public supposed to understand this? The public includes people from all walks of life,” he said.

Khan stressed that such actions should be conducted during the daytime.

“The demolition was carried out around 1:30 at night. Secondly, the authorities should have waited for the court’s final verdict before taking any action,” he added.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police have arrested five people in connection with the stone-pelting incident during the demolition drive near a mosque, officials said.

The incident occurred near the Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque in the Turkman Gate area, close to Ramlila Ground, where authorities launched an anti-encroachment operation.

According to officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the drive was conducted to clear unauthorised structures from land adjoining the mosque and nearby areas, in compliance with directions issued by the Delhi High Court on November 12, 2025.

The demolition exercise began in the early hours of Wednesday, with a heavy presence of civic staff and police personnel. Officials stated that between 10 and 17 bulldozers were deployed as part of the operation.

As the demolition got underway, a large number of residents gathered outside the mosque, raising slogans and protesting against the action.

The situation soon turned volatile when some members of the crowd attempted to breach police barricades and began pelting stones at security personnel. Police responded by firing tear gas shells to disperse the protesters and prevent the unrest from spreading.

The FIR is filed under sections related to rioting, assault on a government servant, and obstruction of a public servant in performing their duty.

IANS