DDA demolishes 100-year-old dargah in Delhi amid local outrage
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New Delhi: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) demolished a dargah in Mangolpuri Industrial Area Phase-II in the early hours of Wednesday, 6 May, under heavy police deployment, sparking protests from locals who claim the structure is over a century old.
Authorities described Dargah Panch Peeran as an illegal encroachment on government land, razed only after religious committee approval and legal formalities. A DDA spokesperson told Hindustan Times a show-cause notice had been issued to occupants in 2024, but their response was inadequate. The action targeted only the encroached portion, sparing other structures.
Three Delhi Police teams arrived at 6 am to manage protests, dispersing locals as about 90% of the dargah was demolished. Caretaker Maqbool Hasan insisted it had stood for decades, tended by generations of his family. “My father and his father, we have all taken care of this dargah which is more than 100 years old. We were not provided with any proper notice this week. Policemen came around 4 to 5 am and threatened us. I even begged the SHO (Station House Officer) to stop and wait till proper court proceedings, but he threatened to arrest me. Now, the dargah is almost demolished,” he said.
A legal notice protesting the demolition—issued Wednesday to the Lieutenant Governor, Delhi Police, and DDA—cites years of peaceful existence and violation of Supreme Court guidelines without due process.