Anadolu staff
31 January 2024•Update: 31 January 2024
ANKARA
Authorities in New Delhi demolished a mosque believed to have been built centuries ago, the mosque committee said Wednesday.
Officials at the Delhi Development Authority have not yet responded to Anadolu to get its version of events.
Police and civil officials arrived early Tuesday and carried out the demolition of the structure which was a combination of a mosque and madrassa, or Muslim school.
“The mosque is centuries old. More than 20 orphan students are enrolled in the madrassa. On Tuesday morning, officials arrived and started the demolition,” Muzamil Salmani, who has taught at the madrassa for eight years, told Anadolu.
The demolition squad also razed a Hindu temple located near the mosque.
On Wednesday, the area was barricaded and security forces were deployed in the area.
Salmani said those present in the madrassa "couldn’t save anything during the demolition."
“Other than Qurans, there were a few laptops. They lost everything,” said Salmani, adding that management had no prior information that the demolition would take place.
Qari Nasruddin, part of the government-run Waqf board committee that manages mosques in the area, said authorities carried out the demolition even though the case was pending in court.
The Delhi Development Authority "claims it is their land," Nasruddin told Anadolu.
But there is a case in court and "we recently made a plea that the land which belonged to us, be demarcated. While the case is still going on, the officials came and razed everything,” he said.
Zakir Hussain, the cleric at the mosque said no information was given to the mosque’s management committee about the demolition decision.
“The demolition squad officials told us that the land belongs to the Delhi Development Authority and we have to clear it. No notice was given to us regarding it,” he told Anadolu.
