Once again an attempt was made to throw Delhi into the fire of riots. At midnight, a rumor was spread about a bulldozer running on the mosque in Turkman Gate area of Delhi, Muslims were appealed to come out of their houses and come out on the road. Within 23 minutes a crowd of hundreds gathered. Within a few minutes stones started being thrown at the police. Five policemen were injured. The police brought the situation under control with great difficulty by using tear gas and lathicharge. Five stone pelters have been arrested in this case, the search for the rest is ongoing. Police are trying to identify the rioters with the help of video footage.
Police officers say that on the orders of the High Court, the Delhi Municipal Corporation team had come to remove encroachment on the government land around the mosque, there were security arrangements but some people spread the rumor of bulldozers running on the mosque. Posted inflammatory videos on social media. After this the situation worsened.
The question is, can so many people gather in just 23 minutes at 1 o’clock in the night? How did the stones arrive suddenly? What was Samajwadi Party MP Mohibullah Nadvi doing in this area at 12 o’clock in the night? Why did Shahi Imam Bukhari go to this area two days ago? Before the action, MCD and police officers had talked to the people responsible for the mosque. People were told that the encroachment around the mosque had to be removed. If it was told that everything had happened then who gathered the crowd? Is the sudden gathering of rioters after midnight in such cold weather a mere coincidence or a well-planned conspiracy?
A crowd of hundreds of people attacked the police and MCD team around Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque in Turkman Gate area. Every person in the crowd had stones and sticks in their hands, the crowd broke the barricades. Stone pelting took place in the entire area for about half an hour. The area of Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque near Turkman Gate is 0.195 acres but around 36 thousand square feet of government land was encroached upon around the mosque. A banquet hall, a diagnostic center and many shops were built. The High Court had ordered their removal. The mosque committee also went to the court but the court did not give stay. At around 12 o’clock in the night, the MCD team reached the spot with 17 bulldozers.
Regarding the bulldozer action, the people of the area were clearly told that there would be no tampering with the mosque, only encroachment would be removed. But as soon as the bulldozers and dumpers reached the spot, some people made a video and posted it on social media and spread the rumor that the bulldozers had arrived to demolish the mosque. Muslims were asked to immediately come on the streets and protest against this.
Those making such allegations instigated people through Facebook Live and circulated videos on WhatsApp in which Muslims were asked to reach Turkman Gate and save the mosque from demolition. Based on the video footage, five accused, Muhammad Arib, Adnan, Kasif, Sameer and Kaif have been arrested. Sameer and Adnan are accused of spreading rumours. These two people made inflammatory videos and posted them on social media.
Before the stone pelting, Samajwadi Party MP Mohibullah Nadvi had reached the spot at 12 o’clock in the night. Nadvi said that people had called him, so he had gone but returned after some time. They are not aware of what happened after their return and how it happened. Why the action took place at night, this question was asked to the MCD officers. MCD says that Turkman Gate is a crowded area. There is crowd during the day. If bulldozers had been running during the day and barricades had been installed, people would have faced more problems. Therefore, after talking to the mosque committee and the nearby people, it was decided to take action at night.
Those who are saying that what was the need for immediate action, the answer received was that this process had been going on for four months. In October, the court had ordered measurement of illegal encroachments around the mosque. Measurements were taken in October. On November 12, the High Court ordered removal of the encroachment within three months. Notice was given to the Mosque Committee on 22 December. The encroachment was asked to be removed within 15 days but the committee appealed in the High Court. That appeal was also rejected. After that action was taken on Tuesday night.
The question is that even after the police had held peace committee meetings, taken the mosque committee and the people of the area into confidence, who spread the rumor of demolishing the mosque on social media? On whose instructions was the crowd gathered? Who were the stone pelters? Where did the stones come from? The police will have to find answers to these questions. Strictest action should be taken against those pelting stones and those trying to instigate riots.
AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi says that Delhi Waqf Board is in collusion in this matter. That is why the government got the opportunity to run the bulldozer. Owaisi said that he had already said that BJP wants to snatch the property of Muslims by making changes in the Waqf Act, what happened in Delhi is proof of that.
As far as Waqf land is concerned, records show that in 1940, 0.195 acres i.e. about 980 yards of land was given to the mosque near Turkman Gate, but after that 36 thousand square feet of land around the mosque was captured. The Mosque Committee could not even present any documents of this land in the court. Therefore, to say that the action was taken in a hurry, that bulldozers are being used to target Muslims, these are things that spoil the atmosphere.
Whatever happened in Turkman Gate area of Delhi happened because of spreading rumours. The Municipal Corporation team had arrived to remove the encroachment but a rumor was spread that bulldozers were being run on the mosque. The High Court had given the order to remove the encroachment, but people were instigated by saying that the BJP government had ordered the demolition of the mosque.
The matter of encroachment, removal of shops and banquet halls built by occupying government land, was given a religious colour. Videos were posted on social media groups to instigate people. People living around the mosque believe that they were informed in advance, yet such a crowd reached at midnight. They say outsiders did this. The videos of the night show that the police acted with great restraint. Still the police were attacked.
Who brought people from outside? For what purpose did you provoke people? Its truth should come out. The faces of those few people who defamed the entire community should be revealed. (Rajat Sharma)
Watch: ‘Aaj Ki Baat, Rajat Sharma Sath’ full episode of January 07, 2026
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