By Nikita Jain
There is still a burning sensation on the face when one enters the lanes of Turkman Gate. In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, the site, now almost deserted, witnessed intense tear gas shelling, lathi charge, and stone pelting.
On Tuesday evening, around 8 pm, Delhi Police officials, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials, and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) began gathering near the historic Turkman Gate. Soon after, dozens of bulldozers were seen assembling in the area.
The mobilisation was for carrying out what authorities termed “an anti-encroachment drive” near a century-old mosque at Turkman Gate.
The demolition, which was officially scheduled to begin at 8 am, was instead initiated around 1.30 am, triggering protests from local residents. One of the oldest mosques in Delhi, the Syed Faiz-e-Lahi Mosque, located near Ramlila Maidan, became the epicentre of the unfolding events when authorities moved in to demolish the area adjoining the mosque.
Speaking to Maktoob, Mohammad Ali (name changed on request), an eyewitness to the events, said he was present when the police began gathering and soon after the bulldozers started demolishing structures.
“This area never sleeps. Unlike other places, work goes on here throughout the day. So when mobilisation started around 1–1.30 am, we were all awake. I was standing here when they began demolishing a baarat ghar (wedding hall) and a dispensary,” Ali, a resident of Turkman Gate, said.
He said the mosque is more than a century old and has always existed at the site. What shocked him, he said, was the timing of the demolition. “Why did they come at night? Why did they use brute force to disperse a crowd that was merely upset about the demolition? And why was curfew imposed?” he asked.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.