Stone Pelting, Tear Gas: What Unfolded During the Turkman Gate Demolition Drive
Police arrested 11 people, including a juvenile, in connection with violence during the demolition process.
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“Medicines and treatment were available at lower rates at the dispensary near the Faiz-E-Elahi Mosque,” said Mohammad Anas, a resident of Turkman Gate, New Delhi, recalling the now-demolished establishment.
On the intervening night of 6 and 7 January, during one of Delhi’s coldest nights of the winter, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) carried out a demolition drive of alleged illegal structures or encroachments around the Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid at Turkman Gate, near the Ramlila Ground.
During this period, a confrontation occurred between the residents and the police, where some people indulged in stone pelting, which led to around five police personnel being injured.
A First Information Report (FIR) was registered, and eleven individuals were arrested, including a juvenile in this case, so far. As per the police, all eleven are residents of the Turkman Gate area.
Series of Events - What Led to the Demolition?
The demolition drive near the Faiz-E-Elahi Mosque at Turkman Gate was carried out following directions from the Delhi High Court to remove alleged illegal encroachments on public land. Several bulldozers were deployed to dismantle structures adjoining the mosque, even as some local residents raised objections and staged protests.
The action stemmed from a Delhi HC order dated 12 November 2025, which directed the MCD and the Public Works Department (PWD) to clear nearly 38,940 square feet of encroachments near the Ramlila Ground in the Turkman Gate area 'within three months.' Civic authorities have maintained that the disputed land belongs to the PWD and the MCD.
The case was initiated by Delhi-based activist Bhai Preet Singh, also known as Preet Sirohi, founder of the 'Save India Foundation,' filed a petition in the Delhi HC earlier in 2025.
Sirohi stated that during his research into the Dargah Elahi complex, he found what he described as “illegal constructions over public land,” and asserted that the land did not belong to any private party, according to news agency ANI.
The mosque’s managing committee said the land was Waqf property and that the matter fell under the Waqf Tribunal’s jurisdiction, not routine civic encroachment action.
Authorities said the mosque was not touched, but the community hall, a dispensary, parts of a footpath and a parking area (adjoining areas) were demolished, which officials said were built on public land.
Sirohi, who has been involved in multiple public campaigns, has also been associated with controversies.
He has also been involved in organising events described as “Hindu Mahapanchayats,” during which controversial and communal remarks have been reported. In 2021, he was arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with alleged 'anti-Muslim' sloganeering at Jantar Mantar.
The Quint reported about the said “Hindu Mahapanchayat" in 2021.
(Source: The Quint)
Tensions escalated when locals gathered around the site. According to officials, some people began pelting stones at police and civic workers, prompting the use of tear gas and crowd control measures to disperse the crowds.
Neither the Delhi HC order or the MCD order noted that the mosque was to be demolished.
Late Night Operation, Stone Pelting and Tear Gas: What Residents Experienced
The demolition drive started between 1-2 am on 7 January. With close to 30 bulldozers being driven into the area, several locals gathered around the mosque. The Hindustan Times reported the operation was "supposed to begin at 8 am but was started at 1:30 am instead."
Additionally, residents noted they were unsure about the demolition process's timeline. A shopkeeper in the main market lane of Turkman Gate told The Quint that they had 'heard' about the order but were not aware about the date and timing.
As per a report by Hindustan Live Farhan Yahiya from 7 January, the police could be seen making announcements on a loudspeaker asking people to stay in and assuring that the mosque was not being demolished.
A senior police officer told the Hindustan Times that around 1 am, the police decided to carry out the demolition and asked locals to vacate the premises, making announcements over loudspeakers. He said that about 150 people had gathered and were raising slogans, and that around 25–30 of them began pelting stones at the police.
When the protesting and stone pelting began, the police used tear gas to manage the situation. Locals told The Quint that around 30-40 tear gas shots were fired upon protesting individuals. Adil, 40, said:
Similarly, a daily-wage worker living in a Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) shelter home, which was located right opposite the mosque, said, "I was not sure of what was happening, but was awoken by the smell and smoke of the tear gas. We had to open vents as it was irritating to the eyes."
Night visuals at Turkman Gate.
(Source: PTI)
Police arrested eleven people, including a juvenile, in connection with the alleged violence, booking them under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to obstructing and assaulting public servants, causing hurt, rioting, disobedience of lawful orders and joint liability, along with sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.
Five arrests were made on 7 January, while six more were made on 8 January.
While locals distanced themselves from the five arrested, calling them “outsiders”, the police maintained that the accused were residents of Turkman Gate itself.
Valsan confirmed that the arrested belonged to the neighbourhood.
Cordoned Lanes, Restricted Movement in Turkman Gate
Usually bustling with noise and commotion, the narrow lanes of Turkman Gate were shrouded in an eerie silence around noon on 7 January.
The rumble of bulldozers and police and security personnel directing people to take alternate routes filled the area. All main entry and exit points were heavily barricaded, with multiple police and Rapid Action Force units deployed across Turkman Gate.
Several roads were barricaded and restricted from movement of people.
(Source: The Quint)
Movement restrictions inconvenienced residents, with several saying it brought business to a halt for the day. Only a few shops, including a medical store and some vegetable vendors, remained open until around 4 pm on 7 January, while the rest of the market stayed shut.
Police officials told The Quint that the market would remain shut for the entire day.
Police personnel conducted a flag march to ensure peace in the area around 2:00 pm on 7 January.
(Source: The Quint)
Additionally, several bulldozers collecting the rubble and completing the demolition process were spotted in the area on 8 January, as well.
Mohd Anas told The Quint, "The process is still underway. Several JCBs were at the site completing the work even today."
Visuals of the Faiz-E-Ellahi mosque around 4 pm on 8 January.
(Source: Accessed by The Quint)
Even on the evening of 8 January, movement in the area remained restricted, with most entry and exit points cordoned off and heavy police deployment in place around Turkman Gate.
Fear of Mosque Demolition: What Led to the Stone Pelting
On the morning of the demolition, The Quint came across several social media posts which claimed that the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque had also been 'demolished,' in the process.
Here is a preview of the post.
Here is a preview of the post.
The Quint also accessed videos of individuals claiming that the mosque was being demolished in the wee hours of 7 January.
Locals gave mixed responses in this matter, where some said they had heard the rumour, while others denied it.
DCP Nidhin Valsan spoke to The Quint and said:
Following the demolition process, reports quoted MCD Deputy Commissioner Vivek Kumar stating that the mosque suffered no damage during the operation.
The Faiz-E-Elahi mosque stands amidst the rubble of the 'illegal structures.'
The Faiz-E-Elahi mosque stands amidst the rubble of the 'illegal structures.'
Walking through these lanes, the residents noted that anybody who chose violence had no religion and resolution should have been sought peacefully without any chaos.
Shehzad said, “We are peaceful people. What happened yesterday was disturbing and should not have happened. However, those structures were meant for the poor in the area, and they have now been demolished.”