NEW DELHI: A joint fact-finding team comprising members of CPI (ML), AICCTU, AISA, AIPWA and AILAJ visited Delhi’s Turkman Gate area to enquire into reports of large-scale arrests and alleged rights violations following recent demolition drives in the locality.
The team described the demolitions as an instance of “lawlessness and state repression” and linked them to what it termed a broader pattern of “Bulldozer Raj” under the BJP-led governments.
According to the team, the demolition targeted parts of the Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid complex, which locals said included not only a place of worship but also utility spaces, a tuition centre, a community hall and a small clinic.
The team alleged that police action went beyond assisting the demolition and involved intimidation, detentions and arrests, including of minors. Such detentions, they said, were part of a wider strategy, enabling the police to show arrests in alleged riot-related cases.
The report has also raised questions about the role of the Waqf Board, alleging internal administrative failures.