New Delhi, September 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The demolition of the Madina Mosque and adjoining structures in Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh area during the early hours of Wednesday triggered a political confrontation, with Opposition leaders and Muslim clerics questioning the timing and circumstances of the action, while the BJP defended it as a lawful step against alleged illegal construction.
All India Imam Association president Maulana Sajid Rashidi questioned why the demolition was carried out at night if the structures were illegal and the authorities had the requisite orders.
“If you have orders for the demolition, what difficulty is there in carrying it out during the day?” Rashidi told IANS.
He alleged that demolitions carried out at night could deepen tensions between Hindus and Muslims. Referring to an earlier demolition in Saharanpur, he claimed that a mosque near the Collectorate had also been demolished during the early hours despite there allegedly being no demolition order.
Rashidi further alleged that such actions were intended to create communal hostility and claimed that some sections of society did not want Muslims to live freely in India or practise their religion despite constitutional guarantees of equal rights.
Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad accused the BJP of using communal divisions to retain political power and alleged that the party was weakening the principle of unity in diversity. He also referred to the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election and predicted a defeat for the BJP.
Congress leader Abhishek Dutt also criticised the demolition, alleging that the government was diverting attention from other issues and creating divisions between Hindus and Muslims. He questioned why similar demolition action was not taken against properties allegedly linked to people accused of crimes against women or alleged irregularities involving donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
AIMIM Delhi president Shoaib Jamai said the mosque’s Imam and local residents claimed they were not given adequate time to retrieve the Holy Quran before the demolition.
The BJP, however, rejected the allegations and said the action should not be given a political colour.
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said that if the demolition was carried out in accordance with the law, the concerned religious committee should also have been consulted. He said action against illegal construction was taken as per legal provisions and maintained that the Shalimar Bagh operation should not be politicised.
The competing claims over the demolition have thus placed the action at the centre of a wider political and communal debate in the capital.
FOLLOW NOW
