Residents appeal for peace after demolition near mosque

A tense, uneasy calm prevailed across the Ramlila Maidan area on Wednesday with heavy police deployment and barricaded lanes restricting movement of locals following a demolition drive near Faiz-e-Ilahi mosque at Turkman Gate.

The demolition of illegal structures, carried out in the early hours by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi police, sparked demonstrations that turned violent, prompting authorities to tighten security. By daybreak, shops were shut and movement through the narrow lanes, usually bustling from early morning, was closely monitored.

Residents described the streets as unusually deserted and tense. Azim Ansari, who runs a furniture workshop in the area, said he chose to stay home with his family in case the situation deteriorated. “I couldn’t open my shop today as I decided to stay with my family in case the situation escalates. I hope this gets over soon and we go back to normal,” he said.

Fear and confusion

In the main market area behind the Turkman Gate structure, a dense mix of residential and commercial units, clusters of people stood outside their homes, discussing the situation with a mix of confusion and worry.

Around 3 p.m., panic briefly rose when a burqa-clad woman was found crying near a barricade and showing the police photos of two missing children, her son and his friend. Sanbari Khatun, 30, said she had last seen them the previous night near a meat shop with its shutters down. On the insistence of locals, the police opened the shop and found two children, both around 10, inside. “We have been here the entire night and did not hear any noise from there,” a police official said.

At the DDA flats behind the mosque, residents said all entry and exit points had been closed, with gates tied with ropes and police stationed outside. “If there was court intervention and the next date has been given in April, what was the hurry? ” said Mohammad Sadiq, a local resident.

Didn’t throw stones

Several residents denied involvement in the alleged stone-pelting. Shehzad Khan, a member of the area’s Aman (peace) committee, said the mosque had existed for more than a century while the dispensary came up about four years ago and the community hall had been there for over two decades.

He said the community had not disturbed peace and has resolved to pursue the stay on the demolition through legal means.“We will work to ensure peace while the government does its job. We are the people of Delhi-6; this is our identity. We didn’t do anything even when the Babri mosque demolition or the verdict happened; why would we fight over this?” he said, urging people not to take to the streets or resort to violence.