On 18 December, the Delhi High Court disposed of a petition filed by the Delhi Waqf Board against the mosque’s demolition order.
Waquar Hasan | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has drawn flak after it put out a public notice about their plan to demolish a 150-year-old mosque located in Sunehri Bagh near Central Secretariat in South Delhi for smooth traffic.
On Monday, Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan, former chairman of Delhi Minorities Commission, posted the notice through his X handle urging people to file their objections against the move. The NDMC notice has asked the general public to submit their objections and suggestions by 1 January 2024 at the email ID chief.architect@ndmc.gov.in.
“New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), under section 202 & Section 207, both to be read in conjunction with Section 11 clause (n) and (p), after having received reference from Delhi Traffic Police for providing traffic engineering proposal to ensure sustainable mobility in the vicinity of roundabout of Sunehri Bagh, has applied to Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) for removal of Sunehri Masjid,” reads the notice issued by the Department of Architecture & Environs.
The notice further invited suggestions and objections.
Soon after the notice was out, people started raising objections to the move demanding preservation of the historical mosque.
Dr. Zafar Mahmood, chairman of Zakat Foundation of India, also asked people to write to the administration to protest against the plan.
Zafarul Hasan Mujib, a resident of Delhi’s Zakir Nagar, wrote to Chief Architect of Delhi expressing his concern over the decision made by the NDMC about the historical mosque.
“This mosque is not just a place of worship for the Muslim community, but also a historical monument with a rich heritage of over 150 years,” he said.
The mosque, built by the residents of Malcha village, “is a significant part of our community’s history and culture. It serves as a place of worship for many, with namaz being offered five times a day.
“It is also a heritage site, one of the 42 waqf board properties returned to Sunni Majlis e Auqaaf, a department established under the Delhi Muslim Waqf Act, 1942, by the then British government. The mosque is frequented by about 200 people daily and nearly 500 every Friday,” said Mujib.
On 18 December, the Delhi High Court disposed of a petition filed by the Delhi Waqf Board against the mosque’s demolition order. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said that “since the parties have largely agreed on the aforesaid issues, therefore, at this stage, this court is not required to adjudicate the prayer any more”.
The court made the observation after the ASG stressed that the administration would not act “in contravention of the legal position”.
