By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
Delhi Development Authority (DDA) demolished premises of three mosques and two dargahs situated in Nizamuddin on July 10, following which local businessman around the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah closed their shop in protest. The main point of the protest and dissent was that DDA was unlawfully meddling in the affairs of Waqf Board.
Following the dispute about the Tikona graveyard, in which the establishments are situated the matter gone in the court, which resulted in a stay order from the court.
But it looks like DDA is in some sort of hurry to get rid of the structure on its own. Various worshipers, locals and residents have accused DDA personnel along with administration of putting pressure of masjid committee to remove the structure even before the court’s order and have July 24 for the next hearing.
On Wednesday, more than 100 police personnel arrived at the demolition site to remove the debris of previous demolition. As court has stayed all sorts of activities, the action by the police was highly opposed. But the police managed to remove the debris anyway.
Ironically police did not stop at this. Police was putting pressure over masjid caretakers and praying personnel to remove the tin shed, which is installed as a temporary roof. Technically, if people removed the roof themselves, then police could have removed the remaining structure as debris.
One of the activist Amir Hussain who attended afternoon prayers on Wednesday on the same graveyard talked with TwoCircles.net over the increasing fears. Amir told, “We have felt like something was wrong. Why it was necessary to bring hundred policemen just to remove the debris?”
Moreover he told, “They were putting pressure to remove the tin roof of mosque, no one complied to this pressure. Why they wanted to remove a roof when they could see people were praying under it?”
What is more surprising for people that DDA is looking into the affairs which are supposed to be concerning the Waqf board. According to the 1972 Gazette, the property is listed under Waqf board, under such circumstances only Waqf board has right to perform action over the site.
On July 10, police from Hazrat Nizamuddin PS along with the accompanying force reached the site and started demolishing the encroachment around the pavement of Amir Khusro Park or Tikona Park. With the aforesaid demolition, Police also broke parts of the mosque and the dargah mentioning them as encroachment over DDA’s land.
On the opposite side of the Tikona graveyard is the is five-star multi million Oberoi Hotel, which is supposed to be one of the reasons behind DDA’s involvement in the case. Some local sources, on the condition of anonymity, have informed that the “look” of the graveyard, and situated mosque and dargah inside of it might be “unpleasant” for the tourists and hotel management. Some have also alleged that DDA is looking forward to turn the graveyard into a plain ground, but the purpose is unclear.
Javed Miyan Naqshbandi, who is regular at the mosques and dargahs does not endorse the allegations, but he does smell something fishy. He said, “Oberoi is such a large and old group. I don’t think they will get into such a dispute as it will tarnish their image. But I do feel that there could be some other group who might be associated in such acts, who is involving DDA, Waqf Board and Police at the same time.”
Javed Miyan and other have expressed their fear that police’s pro-active activities suggest that something might happen on mosque and dargah site on July 21, before July 24, the day of court’s hearing.
TwoCircles.net has filed for a media comment on the issue to the Oberoi group of hotel and to the Delhi Development Authority, but received no response yet.