New Delhi, July 30: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) demolished the 50-year-old Faizyab Masjid and its adjoining madrasa in the early hours of Saturday in the Saraikale Khan locality of East Nizamuddin. This action has sparked significant concern among the local Muslim community, who now lack a place for their daily and weekly congregational prayers.
The demolition occurred despite the Delhi High Court’s directive for the DDA to allocate an alternate plot of land for the mosque and madrasa. Although a Special Leave Petition challenging the High Court’s demolition order is pending before the Supreme Court, the DDA proceeded with the demolition, effectively rendering the appeal moot.
Deen Mohammad, the mosque’s caretaker, had sought relief from the Delhi High Court to prevent the demolition. The court ordered the DDA to provide an alternate plot of equal size within four weeks but permitted the demolition to proceed within a week. The court’s order did not clarify who would bear the cost of constructing the new mosque and madrasa, leaving this burden potentially on the mosque management committee.
The Faizyab Masjid, built in 1972 on land donated by Deen Mohammad’s father, was registered with the Delhi Waqf Board. Deen Mohammad expressed frustration over the demolition, noting that the DDA had not justified the need for the mosque’s land.
The mosque, under the control of local Tablighi Jamaat functionaries, was valued at approximately Rs. 15-20 crores. The DDA has yet to allocate the promised alternate land, causing anxiety among the local Muslim population regarding when and where the new plot will be provided.
The demolition resulted from a series of legal maneuvers. In March-April 2024, Deen Mohammad initially secured interim protection against demolition from the Delhi High Court. However, he later withdrew his petition on June 12, leading to a court order for the premises to be vacated. This decision prompted local community members to file a Letter Patent Appeal (LPA) seeking an alternate plot for religious purposes.
On July 19, the Delhi High Court ordered the DDA to allocate an alternate plot within four weeks and allowed one week for the mosque and madrasa to vacate the premises. This order, issued by a two-judge bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, overruled a previous decision by Justice Amit Sharma of the single-judge vacation bench.
The next hearing in the High Court is scheduled for September 3 to review the progress in locating the alternate site and any further developments.
