Save India Foundation has filed 20 petitions this year alone — most of them revolving around alleged encroachments in Delhi, with a particular focus on Muslim religious institutions
NEW DELHI — The Delhi High Court has come down heavily on what it called a selective targeting of dargahs and other Muslim religious sites in the city under the guise of anti-encroachment drives.
Dismissing a petition filed by Save India Foundation, an NGO affiliated with the Hindutva groups, seeking removal of alleged illegal encroachments on the Yamuna floodplains — including a mazar (mausoleums) and three dargahs (shrines), the court on Wednesday questioned the bonafides of the organisation.
Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya raised concern over selective targeting and asked, “How do you selectively bring forth these petitions of dargahs allegedly encroaching? Do you not see other encroachments? Why are you identifying only mazars?”
A bench comprising the Chief Justice and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela orally said, “We are on your bonafide… This must be the fifth or sixth petition entertained by this bench where you’re seeking the removal of mazars.”
The bench also expressed concern that the litigation appeared to be directed primarily against dargahs, while similar complaints against temples or other religious structures were not being pursued with equal vigour. “Why are only dargahs being brought under the scanner? If this is about encroachments, then the law must apply uniformly,” the court observed.
The bench further said, “Please let us be clear, do not take it to that dimension… We are not even suggesting remotely that this structure is lawful… but why specifically mazars? If you actually want to serve the public, there are many other ways… not only by seeking the removal of such structures. Please ask your foundation to do something more than what they are doing… Please advise your foundation to do some better public work.”
The petition was filed by Save India Foundation through its founder Preet Singh, who claims that the organisation works to raise issues for the enforcement of citizens’ rights.
Singh, however, has been accused in multiple cases related to spreading hatred against Muslims on social media. He is currently out on bail in a hate speech case.
In 2022, Singh and his organisation were booked by Delhi Police for hate speech delivered at the ‘Hindu Mahapanchayat’ in Delhi’s Burari neighbourhood. He was also the organiser of a 2021 event at Jantar Mantar where anti-Muslim slogans were allegedly raised.
In the present PIL, Singh listed three dargahs and one mazar as unauthorised encroachments, alleging that “a large chunk of land belonging to the government has been encroached upon by land mafia through pseudo-religious structures.”
According to the petition, the mazar is located in Budh Vihar Phase 2, while the three dargahs are situated at Rohtak Road, Seelampur, and Burari.
According to media reports, Save India Foundation has filed 20 petitions before the Delhi High Court this year alone — most of them revolving around alleged encroachments in Delhi, with a particular focus on Muslim religious institutions. Nearly a dozen such petitions filed in the last few years are still pending before the court.
