"MCD followed court order, all illegal structures will be removed": Delhi Mayor defends Turkman Gate demolition drive

New Delhi [India], January 7 (ANI): Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh on Wednesday defended the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's demolition drive near Turkman Gate, asserting that all illegal structures will be removed in line with the plan to have a clean Delhi.
Addressing the stone-pelting incident during the demolition drive, Singh asserted that public misinformation and the spread of rumours had led to it.
"MCD followed the court order. There was an illegal occupation on the Ramlila ground where a banquet hall was operating. All illegal structures will be removed. While we talk about public welfare, some religious people try to mislead the public and spread rumours, which lead to such incidents (stone-pelting). Such incidents will not have any effect as we want to have a clean Delhi," Singh told ANI.
Earlier, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) today conducted a demolition drive at the encroached area in the vicinity of Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid, Turkman Gate, near Ramlila Maidan, Delhi, after the High Court's order in the early morning hours of January 7, 2026, according to an official statement from Delhi Police.
During the demolition drive, around 25-30 people pelted stones at police and MCD officials after they arrived at Turkman Gate with JCBs to demolish illegal encroachment, as per a court order.
As a result, five police personnel suffered minor injuries in the incident. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Central District, Nidhin Valsan, the police personnel received treatment at the nearby hospital.
Following the incident, Delhi Police detained five people in connection with the stone-pelting incident, officials said on Wednesday.
Before the demolition drive, several coordination meetings were held with members of the Aman Committee and other local stakeholders to maintain peace and prevent any untoward incidents. All possible preventive and confidence-building measures were undertaken, according to Central Range Joint Commissioner of Police, Madhur Verma.
However, officials said a "few miscreants" attempted to create a disturbance by pelting stones, and the situation was promptly brought under control through "measured and minimal use of force." (ANI)