Protests in Delhi's Mangolpuri over mosque demolition

Protests broke out in Y Block of Mangolpuri on Tuesday morning during an anti-encroachment drive by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which started demolishing an illegally built portion of a mosque complex inside a municipal park on Kanjhwala Road. However, the drive was halted midway as the situation escalated, with a large crowd gathering and forming a human chain to obstruct the entry of excavator machines, MCD said in a statement.

In the statement, the MCD said the encroachment drive was part of its “ongoing efforts to address unauthorised religious encroachments and uphold the integrity of public spaces.” With the support of the five police companies, the MCD commenced the demolition of the illegally extended boundary wall.

“The operation removed 20 metres of the unauthorised structure. However, the situation escalated as a large mob gathered, forming a human chain to obstruct the entry of JCBs into the area... Additionally, the presence of female protesters sitting on the unauthorised structure complicated the law-and-order situation. Despite their diligent efforts, the authorities were unable to safely disperse the crowd,” the MCD said.