NEW DELHI: Indian authorities have demolished a mosque in Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh area in an overnight operation involving heavy police deployment, prompting protests and renewed concerns over the demolition of Muslim religious sites across the country.
According to Indian media reports, bulldozers were deployed late at night to demolish Madina Masjid. The operation was conducted under heavy police security, with access to the area restricted.
The mosque committee alleged that it was given insufficient time to respond to the demolition notice and pursue legal remedies.
Mobin Khan, president of Madina Masjid, said the committee had initially requested legible copies of official documents so that it could prepare a proper response.
“On the lawyer’s advice, a fresh application was filed requesting legible copies of the documents so a proper reply could be framed,” Khan said.
He alleged that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) subsequently issued three notices, with the final one giving the committee 15 days to comply with the demolition order.
The mosque’s imam, Zarifur Rehman, questioned why the structure had been classified as illegal when other properties in the neighbourhood also stood on the basis of general powers of attorney.
“This is being labelled illegal, but everyone across Shalimar holds a general power of attorney, and every house in the area stands on the same power-of-attorney basis; yet, only the mosque is singled out as illegal,” he said.
The overnight operation also drew criticism from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Delhi state president Shoaib Jamai, who reached the site with his team after learning about the proposed demolition.
पार्टी अध्यक्ष बैरिस्टर @asadowaisi साहब के निर्देश पर
आज देर रात सूचना मिलते ही AIMIM दिल्ली की टीम शालीमार बाग़ इलाके में पहुंच चुकी है जहां एक मस्जिद पर बुलडोजर चलाया जा रहा था.
पुलिस प्रशासन हमें किसके इशारे पर मस्जिद के इमाम से मिलने नहीं दे रही है. https://t.co/3AeXMGGiec— Dr. Shoaib Jamai (@shoaibJamei) September 22, 2026
Jamai described the action as unconstitutional and compared it with an earlier demolition in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
“An attempt is being made to bring the Uttar Pradesh model to Delhi,” he said.
He said the area had been turned into a restricted zone when he arrived late at night, with people prevented from approaching the mosque.
Local residents also expressed anger and dismay over the demolition, particularly the timing of the operation and the heavy police deployment.
Wider Pattern of Demolition of Muslim Religious Sites
The demolition of Madina Masjid comes amid a series of operations targeting Muslim religious structures in several Indian states, including mosques, shrines, Eidgahs and madrasas.
According to Indian media reports, at least 23 Muslim religious structures have been demolished or subjected to demolition action since May 2026 across BJP-ruled states: Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana.
On May 6, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) demolished a major portion of Mangolpuri Dargah, popularly known as Dargah Panch Peeran, in the Mangolpuri Industrial Area Phase-II.
Local residents and caretakers said the shrine was around 200 years old and had served as an important spiritual centre for generations.
On May 21, a madrasa was demolished in Delhi’s Pitampura by a group led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Karnail Singh.
Singh arrived at the site with supporters and individuals associated with Hindu nationalist organisations and demolished a boundary wall that was under construction.
In Haryana’s Faridabad, a mosque at Masjid Chowk was demolished on May 29 by the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad. The mosque, estimated to be around 50 years old, was located in the NIT-3 area.
The operation began before dawn under heavy police deployment. Mobile internet services were temporarily suspended to prevent unrest.
On May 30, two mosques were demolished in Mumbai’s Bandra East. Clashes reportedly broke out between police and residents as bulldozers pulled down the structures, prompting heightened security in the area.
On June 1, authorities demolished three dargahs and a Muslim graveyard in Gujarat.
On June 2, authorities demolished the more than 70-year-old Hazrat Syed Barkat Ali Shah Pir Baba Dargah in Mumbai’s Goregaon area.
On the night of June 2, the Ajgaib Shaheed Mosque in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, was demolished near Rajghat within the premises of Kashi Railway Station. The mosque was believed by local residents to be nearly 200 years old.
On the night of June 3-4, civic authorities demolished the nearly 100-year-old Hazrat Shamsuddin Qadri Dargah near Pune’s Bopodi Metro Station.
On June 5, the district administration demolished a dargah in Baghau village of Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. Devotees claimed that the shrine was between 500 and 600 years old.
A day later, authorities demolished Masjid Mustafa Qadri in Sambhal.
On June 10, authorities in Sambhal also demolished a boundary wall and began removing a room at an Eidgah in the Daulatpur Khan area.
In Jaipur, Rajasthan, the Jaipur Development Authority demolished Noorani Mosque in the Nandpuri area of Malviya Nagar on June 8. Built in 1981 through donations from local residents, the mosque had served the Muslim community for more than four decades.
On the same day, the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation demolished Noori Masjid in the Azad Nagar/Gold Nest Circle area of Bhayandar East, Maharashtra.
In June, the Forest Department also demolished Sayyed Shah Baba Mazar in the Fisher Forest area of Etawah, Uttar Pradesh.
