Turkman Gate Demolition: AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan alleges illegal action on Waqf Land

New Delhi [India], January 7 (ANI): The Aam Admi Party (AAP) MLA, Amanatullah Khan, on Wednesday, alleged that the anti-encroachment demolition drive carried out by the MCD near Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid at Turkman Gate was illegal. He claimed that the land in question is part of the 123 Waqf property and that the demolition was carried out unlawfully.
He told ANI ''the land falls under the 123 property, and this is the Turkman Gate issue. It is Waqf land, comprising 123 properties. This is part of the 123 property, and it was demolished illegally. In this way, these people want to spoil the atmosphere of the entire country. They want to spoil the atmosphere of Delhi. Anyone comes and says that this has been built illegally, and the MCD demolishes it. If a Waqf wedding hall is running there, a dispensary is running there, and people are getting help from it, then so be it. You will demolish the mosque, the land adjacent to the mosque, and the graveyard land. You will demolish the Waqf lands of Muslims. Then you are saying that stone pelting took place. You are firing tear gas shells, charging with sticks, and sending people to jail. They are just doing Hindu-Muslim politics."
Khan accused the authorities of attempting to disturb communal harmony in Delhi and the country. He said that Waqf properties, including a wedding hall, a dispensary, land adjacent to the mosque, and graveyard land, were targeted despite being used for public welfare.
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Wednesday welcomed the MCD's demolition drive near the Turkman Gate, terming it a "good step" if action is being taken to remove illegal structures.
Dikshit, however, accused the BJP government of targeting a particular religion. He further stated that any violence against officials is not the right step, as they are following orders from the MCD and the Delhi government."This is a good step if the action is being taken to remove illegal structures...It looks like the BJP government targets a particular religion...It is not right to do violence against the officials who are following the orders of the MCD or the court," he told ANI.
The MCD on Wednesday conducted a demolition drive in the encroached area near Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid, Turkman Gate, and Ramlila Maidan, Delhi, following the High Court's order, in the early hours of January 7, 2026, according to a Delhi Police official statement.
Delhi Police have detained five people in connection with the stone-pelting incident during the demolition drive.
According to the police, around 25-30 people pelted stones at police and MCD officials after they arrived at the Turkman Gate with JCBs to demolish illegal encroachment on the court's order.
Five police personnel suffered minor injuries in the incident. They have been treated at the nearby hospital, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Central District, Nidhin Valsan said.
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)