On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) carried out a demolition drive near the historic Masjid Syed Elahi, also called Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid, at Turkman Gate in Old Delhi. The drive targeted illegal encroachments on public land, including a banquet hall and a diagnostic centre, but the mosque itself remained untouched, MCD officials confirmed.

According to Vivek Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner of MCD, the demolished structures were built on the land belonging to Ramlila Maidan, a public venue near New Delhi Railway Station commonly used for festivals, political rallies, and public meetings. Aggarwal emphasised that the action was carried out pursuant to a Delhi High Court orderissued on November 12, 2025, which directed authorities to clear encroachments near Turkman Gate, including portions of the road, footpaths, banquet hall, car park, and a private diagnostic centre.

Aggarwal clarified that approximately 36,400 square feet of encroached land had been cleared. These included permanent concrete structures such as a banquet hall and a diagnostic centre, which had illegally occupied public property. He added that the demolition was conducted meticulously and that clearing all demolition waste from the site would take some time, but once cleared, it would take an additional five to six hours to fully remove the remaining structures. Importantly, the MCD official stressed: “The mosque is completely safe. We have not touched any part of it.”

The demolition was executed with 32 bulldozers, four heavy Poclain machines, and pneumatic hammers, operating from midnight to 7 am to avoid disrupting public life. While the operation faced some stone-throwing by local residents, police personnel controlled the situation efficiently, and no injuries were reported among the MCD team.

This anti-encroachment drive followed a December 22, 2025, notice from the MCD, which stated that all structures beyond 0.195 acres, the area which housed the mosque, were liable for removal. The notice noted that neither the mosque’s managing committee nor the Delhi Waqf Board had provided documentary proof establishing lawful ownership or possession of the remaining land.

Earlier, in late December, local residents had protested when MCD officials visited the site to mark the encroached areas, prompting authorities to ensure heavy police deployment for Wednesday’s drive. The Delhi Police had set up an extensive security arrangement, dividing the area into nine zones, each supervised by officers of the rank of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, with over ten companies of police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) deployed at sensitive points. Despite the heavy security, there were reports of stone-pelting incidents, leading to the detention of five individuals and injuries to five police personnel.

The demolition also comes amid ongoing legal proceedings. On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court issued a notice on a petition filed by the mosque’s managing committee, challenging the MCD’s action. The court observed that the matter required careful consideration and directed the MCD and the Land and Development Office (L&DO) to file their responses. The matter is scheduled for hearing on April 22, 2026.

Authorities reiterated that the MCD acted solely to remove illegal structures encroaching on public land, and not to affect the historic mosque. The move underscores the delicate balance between enforcing urban land laws and protecting religious and heritage structures in densely populated areas like Old Delhi.

In conclusion, the Turkman Gate demolition drive targeted permanent encroachments on Ramlila Maidan, adhering to court directives, while Masjid Syed Elahi remained completely unharmed. The MCD’s careful planning, including night-time operations and extensive police deployment, ensured the removal of illegal structures without major incidents or harm to the religious site, although local tensions and protests did occur.