Tensions briefly rose in Old Delhi on Wednesday after miscreants attempted to break barricades and threw stones at police personnel who were overseeing a pre-dawn demolition drive to remove encroachments near a mosque, police said. However, the police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters and brought the situation under control.
Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials said the drive began at 1 am and is being carried out near the Faiz-e-Ilahi mosque in the Turkman Gate area to remove unauthorised structures following a Delhi High Court order. As many as 17 bulldozers were deployed as part of its ongoing anti-encroachment action.
The demolition went ahead even as the Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice on a petition filed by the managing committee of Masjid Syed Elahi, which has challenged the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) decision to remove alleged encroachments from land adjoining the mosque and graveyard at Ramlila Maidan.
The drive drew strong resistance from local residents, who gathered at the site and protested against the demolition. Police said adequate force was deployed in and around the area to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control.
The encroachments included portions of a road, a footpath, a community hall, a parking area and a private diagnostic centre.
"The action is still ongoing. MCD is doing the demolition. We have deployed our staff for security. The action started around 1 am. MCD conducted demolition as per the High Court's orders on the encroached land. Stones were thrown at the police at night. We used minimal force to pushback," Valsan said.
"Apart from that, the overall process was very smooth. Four to five officers suffered minor injuries. As soon as we get the CCTV camera footage, ground footage, and body camera footage, we will identify the miscreants and take legal action," the official added.
Madhur Verma, Joint Commissioner of Police, Central Range, said a few miscreants attempted to disrupt the drive by throwing stones. “The situation was promptly brought under control with minimal and measured use of force, ensuring that normalcy was restored without any escalation,” he said.
Verma said elaborate law and order arrangements were put in place to ensure the smooth conduct of the demolition drive. “The entire area was divided into nine zones, each under the supervision of an Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, with adequate deployment at all sensitive points,” he said.
The police official also said that several coordination meetings were held with local stakeholders ahead of the operation to maintain peace and prevent any untoward incident. He said preventive and confidence-building measures were undertaken in advance.
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.
The High Court had passed the order while dealing with a plea moved by Save India Foundation, an organisation that was represented in the court by advocate Umesh Chandra Sharma.
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.
Following the notice, MCD officials visited the site to mark the encroached area on January 4, but faced resistance from locals, prompting increased police deployment.
Seeking cancellation of the MCD order, the Masjid Syed Elahi managing committee said the property in question is being used by it and it is paying lease rent to the waqf board.
The plea says the land is a notified waqf property governed by the Waqf Act and therefore, the Waqf Tribunal has exclusive jurisdiction over all disputes relating to it.
Anticipating major disruptions during the demolition drive, the Delhi Traffic Police issued a traffic advisory, warning of congestion on several key roads. Traffic around Ramlila Maidan and adjoining areas is expected to remain affected during the day.
According to the advisory, traffic jams are likely on JLN Marg, Ajmeri Gate and Minto Road due to the operation. Heavy pressure is also expected on Delhi Gate, BSZ Marg and NS Marg until the demolition is completed. Commuters have been advised to avoid these routes unless absolutely necessary and to use alternative roads.Some stretches will remain completely closed to traffic. The road from Kamla Market roundabout to Asaf Ali Road near the Hamdard Building will be shut.Vehicular movement from Kamla Market roundabout towards JLN Marg and from Delhi Gate towards JLN Marg will also be restricted. In addition, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Marg from Mirdard Chowk to Guru Nanak Chowk will remain closed until the demolition work is finished.
