By Seekriti Saha
On Wednesday, 7th January, five police personnel were severely injured from violent pelting of stones while carrying out an anti –encroachment drive as ordered by the Delhi High Court around Syed Faiz-e-Elahi mosque in Central Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan Area.
The turmoil broke out when around 300 officials and workers of the Municipal Corporations of Delhi were carrying out the anti-encroachment drive to demolish 38,940 sq. ft of unauthorized structures that stood around the mosque near Turkman Gate.
Among a crowd of 30-35 people who were hurling stones at the Delhi civic officials and workers, 11 people have been arrested after CCTV and bodycam footage were scanned. Mohd Kaif, Kashif, Adnan, Sameer and Mohammad Areeb are among those 11 arrested pelters who are also residents of the Turkman Gate neighbourhood.
On social media platforms, videos of the mob throwing stones at the civic workers went viral. “One of the videos that triggered the controversy was allegedly recorded by a person named Khalid Malik, who urged people to step out of their homes in large numbers.
Rumours were circulated that bulldozers had been deployed to demolish a mosque, which fuelled tension in the area, “a police officer stated.
A senior officer stated that the local residents were informed to comply with the High Court order. On Wednesday, when the anti-encroachment drive began, a crowd of 150 people gathered around the area and later 30 – 35 individuals started hurling stones at the cops.
“When atrocities are committed in the name of encroachment targeting religious places, a reaction is inevitable,” SP leader ST Hasan said.