The operation took place early Wednesday morning, with approximately 17 bulldozers used to clear the encroachments. Officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said that the demolition at 1 am.
In the early morning hours of January 7, 2025, a demolition drive near the Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque, close to Ramlila Ground in Delhi’s Turkman Gate area, resulted in the removal of illegal encroachments. The situation became tense due to stone-throwing and sloganeering by a crowd that had gathered. The operation took place early Wednesday morning, with approximately 17 bulldozers used to clear the encroachments.
Officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said that the demolition started at 1 am. It’s happening near the Faiz-e-Ilahi mosque in the Turkman Gate area to remove unauthorized buildings, after a Delhi High Court order, according to an official statement from Delhi Police.
Official statement
“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. 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,” the statement read.
Protest errups as demolition began
However, as the demolition began, a large crowd assembled outside the mosque, with some protesting the action. The Delhi Police blocked all roads leading to the mosque, preventing people from going beyond the cordons. Tensions increased when parts of the crowd tried to breach the barricades near Turkman Gate, leading the police to use a measured amount of force to manage the situation.
#WATCH | Delhi | Visuals from the area near Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid, Turkman Gate, where MCD, pursuant to the directions of the Delhi High Court, carried out a demolition drive on an encroachment earlier today.
Madhur Verma, Joint Commissioner of Police, Central Range, says,… pic.twitter.com/sAVAsZwPfs
— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2026
Prior to the demolition 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. All possible preventive and confidence-building measures were undertaken, according to Central Range Joint Commissioner of Police, Madhur Verma.
However, according to officials, a “few miscreants” attempted to create a disturbance by stone pelting, with the situation being promptly brought under control through “measured and minimal use of force.”
“During the course of the demolition, a few miscreants attempted to create a 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,” Verma said in the official statement.
Delhi Police remains committed to maintaining law and order while ensuring that all judicial directions are implemented in a lawful, professional and sensitive manner, the statement added.
17 bulldozers were used to remove the unauthorised structures
Meanwhile, authorities brought in around 17 bulldozers to remove the unauthorised structures in the area.
Earlier on Monday in Madhya Pradesh, a team of Municipal Corporation carried out a demolition drive against an illegal construction built near Mahakal Chowk in Ujjain district, an official said.It was a G+3 structure (Ground along with three floors) and built without taking necessary permissions from the authority. A notice was also served but it was set aside as a result of which it was razed down, the official added.
Ujjain Municipal Corporation’s Assistant Commissioner, Deepak Sharma told ANI, “We have served a notice in the name of Noor Jahan, wife of Ghulam Mohammad, not to build a structure without obtaining permissions located near Mahakal Chowk. But they moved towards the court and the court did not grant a stay on it. Still they did not stop the construction work, therefore, action is being taken to remove the illegal construction with the help of police administration and Municipal Corporation. The G+3 structure was built here without taking any permission. Therefore, the entire structure was being demolished.”
A team of police personnel was present at the site to maintain law and order, and route diversions were implemented to ensure smooth traffic flow.
(With ANI inputs)
