New Delhi, Jan 7: BJP leaders on Wednesday strongly condemned the stone-pelting incident that took place during a demolition drive near a mosque in Old Delhi, asserting that the action was carried out strictly against encroachments in accordance with a High Court order.

They said those responsible for creating chaos and attacking security personnel must be dealt with firmly under the law.

The incident occurred near the Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque in the Turkman Gate area, close to the Ramlila Ground, where the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) launched an anti-encroachment operation to remove unauthorised structures from land adjoining the mosque and nearby areas, in compliance with directions issued by the Delhi High Court on November 12, 2025.

As the demolition process began, a large number of local residents gathered outside the mosque, raising slogans and protesting against the action. The situation soon escalated when some members of the crowd attempted to breach police barricades and started pelting stones at security personnel deployed at the site.

Reacting to the incident, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal told media, “I have been informed by the officials that this was a High Court order. The forces removed encroachments on government land. I am a resident of Old Delhi, and the people here are peace-loving. The removal was carried out strictly under the law and as per the High Court order.”

“The local police are investigating the matter, and based on CCTV footage, appropriate action will be taken. The police are monitoring the case,” he further said.

Minister Ashish Sood described the incident as unfortunate and said the demolition was carried out strictly under court directions.

“This is an unfortunate incident. Action was taken against commercial establishments near the Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque strictly as per court orders, but some anti-social elements protested and resorted to stone-pelting, which is unacceptable,” Sood told reporters.

“The mosque remains completely safe, and the government has no role in the action, which is court-directed. Those involved in violence will face legal action, and people are urged to identify miscreants who incite such acts, as innocent youths ultimately suffer legal consequences,” he added.

Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also underlined that the action was based on judicial orders.

“These are orders from the High Court, and the High Court’s orders are being implemented. However, those who are doing such activities are wrong, and the police must take action against them. Whether it is an order from the High Court or the Supreme Court, it is the duty of the police and the government to enforce it,” he said.

Speaking to Media, Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht said unauthorised encroachments must be removed irrespective of their nature.

“Certainly, action should be taken in cases where there is unauthorised encroachment, and such encroachments must be removed. If illegal constructions of mosques or wedding halls have been made in areas like the Ramlila Ground, the importance of the location must be respected, and such action should definitely be taken,” he said.

Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh said that any encroachment must be removed. “There is no question of caste, community, or religious sentiment in this matter. Anything that causes inconvenience to individuals or society should be addressed and removed,” he told Media.

Meanwhile, police have registered an FIR under sections related to rioting, assault on a government servant and obstruction of a public servant in the discharge of official duties.

The police said 10 individuals have been identified and detained, and searches are underway to trace others allegedly involved in the violence.

Further details in the case are awaited.

Thane: An inmate at a sub-jail in Maharashtra’s Thane district allegedly manhandled a police officer and destroyed CCTV cameras while questioning his detention and demanding his immediate release, officials said on Tuesday.

The accused claimed he was “unfazed” by legal action because he had faced similar charges in the past, they said.

The Shantinagar police have registered an FIR against the accused, identified as Faiaz Islam Shaikh (25), in connection with the incident which occurred on Sunday in the Bhiwandi sub-jail premises, where he was already lodged for a prior offence.

According to the police, the accused began shouting and hurling abuses at the personnel on duty. He allegedly challenged the authority of the police, questioning his detention and demanding his immediate release.

He further threatened the staff, claiming that a previous charge under Indian Penal Code Section 353 (assault on a public servant) did not bother him, an official from the Shantinagar police station said.

Shaikh allegedly pulled out three CCTV cameras installed near the sub-jail’s gate and smashed them onto the floor. He also broke three light bulbs in the area, the official said.

When a police officer attempted to pacify him and explain the protocol, the accused grabbed his collar and pushed him, he added.

The police have registered a case in this connection against Shaikh under various Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections, including 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 324(4) (mischief causing damage to public property), he said.

Kolkata, Jan 6: The deadline for the Director General of West Bengal Police, Rajeev Kumar, to submit an action taken report to the Election Commission of India on an incident of heckling and attack on the ECI-appointed special observer in the South 24 Parganas district expires on Tuesday.

The ECI-appointed special roll observer, C. Murugan, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, was at Magrahat in the South 24 Parganas district reviewing and supervising the hearing sessions there last month when the ruling Trinamool Congress activists allegedly attacked his vehicle and personally heckled him.

The state police were then accused of not making adequate security arrangements for Murugan, despite his trip being scheduled and the district police authorities being informed well in advance.

After that incident, Murugan sent a detailed report on the matter to the ECI’s headquarters in New Delhi, and thereafter, on January 3, the ECI sought a detailed report from DGP Kumar.

The deadline for sending the report is expiring at 5 p.m. Tuesday, and it is to be seen whether the report reaches the ECI by that time or not.

In the communique to the DGP sent on January 3, the ECI also cautioned the state police that similar lapses in the future regarding the security arrangements for the voter list observers will not be taken lightly.

Since the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) started in West Bengal from November last year, there have been several instances of heckling of electoral officers, and in almost all these cases, the ruling Trinamool Congress activists were held responsible.

Even the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, was also not spared, and there had been several instances of unruly agitations in front of his office in central Kolkata by a Trinamool Congress-backed association of booth-level officers (BLOs).

Amid such developments, last month, the Union Home Ministry decided to upgrade the security for CEO Manoj Agarwal, following the ECI’s recommendations in the matter.

The security grade for Agarwal was upgraded to ‘Y-category’, thus entitling him to security cover by Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel. At the same time, CAPF deployment will also be there at the CEO’s office in central Kolkata.

Recently, the ECI recommended to the Union Home Ministry for the deployment of CAPF at the CEO’s office, besides upgrading the personal security of the CEO.