NEW DELHI — The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on May 6 demolished a century-old shrine, popularly known as Dargah Panch Peeran, in the Mangolpuri Industrial Area Phase-II of the national capital, triggering protests and concern among local residents.
The demolition was carried out amid heavy police deployment in the early hours of the morning. Authorities maintained that the structure was an illegal encroachment on government land, while caretakers and locals asserted that the shrine had stood at the site for over 100 years and held deep religious and historical significance.
According to Maqbool Hasan, associated with the dargah, the demolition was conducted without adequate notice or due judicial process. However, the DDA stated that the action followed all required procedures.
“This was done after obtaining due approval from the religious committee and completing all codal formalities, which established the dargah as a patently unauthorised construction on government land,” a DDA spokesperson said in media statements.
Caretakers have strongly contested this claim. Hasan said the shrine had been maintained by his family for generations. “My father and his father—we have all taken care of this dargah for over 100 years. We were not given any proper notice this week. Around 4–5 am, police arrived and threatened us. I even pleaded with the SHO to wait for proper court proceedings, but he threatened to arrest me. Now the dargah is almost completely demolished,” he said.
Eyewitnesses reported that a heavy police contingent was deployed at the site from around 6 am. Some local residents attempted to protest but were removed from the area as authorities proceeded with the demolition.
Advocates representing the caretakers have raised legal objections, sending a notice to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Delhi Police, and the DDA. They alleged that the demolition violated due process and guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court, arguing that the shrine had existed peacefully for decades and should not have been removed without proper legal recourse.
The DDA, however, reiterated that the structure was unauthorised and that all due procedures were followed prior to the demolition.
The incident has added to growing public concern over what many see as an emerging pattern of demolitions targeting long-standing religious structures, particularly those associated with minority communities. Civil society groups, activists, and residents have increasingly questioned the timing, transparency, and consistency of such actions.
Critics argue that even in cases of alleged encroachment, authorities must ensure adherence to due process, including adequate notice, opportunity for legal remedy, and sensitivity to the religious and cultural significance of such sites. Some have also called for a uniform policy applicable to all religious structures, irrespective of community, to avoid perceptions of selective enforcement.
On the other hand, officials and some commentators maintain that enforcement drives are part of broader efforts to clear illegal constructions and reclaim public land, asserting that no structure—religious or otherwise—can be exempt from the law.
