Waqf Board files police plaint against demolition drive at New Delhi madrasa

The madrasa, which is claimed to be nearly 200 years old, is managed by Delhi Waqf Board, and is located in Bengali Market area.

A day after a portion of a madrasa located near central Delhi’s Bengali market was demolished in an encroachment removal drive by Land and Development Office (L&DO) of the Union urban development ministry, Delhi Waqf Board chairman and AAP MLA from Okhla Amanatullah Khan filed a police complaint against the “illegal action” by the officials.

A wall and portions of some rooms were razed at a madrasa in Bengali Market area during an anti-encroachment drive on Tuesday. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

The madrasa, which is claimed to be nearly 200 years old, is managed by Delhi Waqf Board. It is part of the 123 properties, including mosques, mausoleums and graveyards, over which the board is engaged in a court battle with the Centre.

Khan, who visited the demolition site on Wednesday, said the action by L&DO officials was illegal. “This property is listed at number 3 in the list 123 waqf properties. The matter is pending in the court. What was the urgency to demolish a section of the structure. We have filed a police complaint and have demanded action against the officials for attempting to vitiate the atmosphere,” Khan said.

On February 8, L&DO wrote to the Delhi Waqf Board that does not have any stake in 123 properties, including mosques and graveyards most of which are located in New Delhi area, as the board did not appear before a two-member committee constituted by the Centre on the issue of the ownership rights. In March, Union urban development minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in the Parliament that the ownership of these 123 properties, lies with the Centre.The Waqf Board moved the Delhi high court on March 15, saying the Centre did not have the power to do so as the properties have been in their possession for more than 120 years.

“This property is under the Delhi Waqf Board and there is a court stay on the matter since 2014. I have filed a complaint with the police and sought an FIR against L&DO officers concerned. During a hearing on the matter on Thursday, the court has also reprimanded and warned them,” Khan said.

L&DO officials did not respond to repeated attempts to seek a comment. On Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity, the officials said they had only removed illegal extensions at the madrasa, and there was no damage to the area where namaz is performed.

Hafiz Matlub Karim, a senior member of the managing committee of the seminary, alleged that no notice was issued to them before demolition began early Wednesday morning. “Ours is a 200 year old mosque. It is known as Bachchon Wali Masjid because of the madrasa that provides education to orphans. During the pre-Independence days, this is used to be only mosque outside the Walled City except the ITO mosque, and travellers used to stay here as it was located at a higher altitude,” Karim claimed. A waqf board official said that the mosque was at least over a hundred years old and was identified as Masjid Babar Road in the board’s record.

A senior police officer, who asked not to be named, said that the Barakhamba Road police station received a complaint from the Delhi Waqf Board chairman regarding the removal of encroachment at a residential madrasa by L&DO officials. “The complaint pertains to the demolition inside the madrasa was examined. No first information report (FIR) has been registered into the matter. There was an encroachment in nearly 120 square yards space at the madrasa that was removed. No damage to the mosque was done during the demolition drive,” said the police officer.