Late-night tensions flared in the Shalimar Bagh area of the national capital as civic authorities deployed heavy earthmoving machinery to demolish parts of a mosque to facilitate a road widening project. News of the sudden operation spread quickly through the neighbourhood, drawing agitated local residents to the scene in protest. As tensions escalated around the site, representatives from Asaduddin Owaisi's party, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, arrived to confront authorities and challenge the demolition.
Midnight Demolition Likened to Past Saharanpur Action
Shoaib Jamei, the Delhi state president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, strongly condemned the administration's actions, asserting that the bulldozers were brought in around 3 AM. Drawing parallels to past controversies, Jamei characterized the midnight demolition in Shalimar Bagh as Saharanpur Part-2. He contended that the operation was carried out abruptly without granting adequate prior notice or grace time to the local caretakers, creating fear that the entire structure might be brought down.
Allegations Over Restricted Access and Plea to Retrieve Holy Books
Taking to social media platform X in a post, Jamei shared that their local delegation visited Shalimar Bagh on the direct instructions of party president Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi. However, he claimed that law enforcement officials barred them from meeting the imam of the mosque. According to Jamei, police barricades effectively sealed off the area, preventing citizens and community members from entering within a 100 to 200-meter perimeter around the site.
In an accompanying video, Jamei pleaded with the authorities to pause long enough to allow community members to carefully retrieve copies of the holy Quran from inside the premises. Expressing deep dismay, he emphasized that public servants take an oath under the Constitution and should uphold due process and basic religious sensitivity rather than acting with undue haste in the middle of the night.
Prior Encroachment Drives in Historic Delhi Neighbourhoods
The midnight operation in Shalimar Bagh follows similar anti-encroachment efforts carried out across various parts of Delhi. Authorities had earlier launched an operation in the vicinity of Jama Masjid, where several unauthorized commercial establishments and shops erected within public parks were demolished by municipal bulldozers. While civic agencies continue to pursue clearing public land and widening major thoroughfares, late-night demolitions of religious structures frequently meet with strong political and community pushback.
