The High Court of Delhi sought response from the Centre, the Delhi government and the Delhi Police, among others, on a petition seeking removal or demolition of mosques and mazars alleged to have been illegally constructed at public places in the national capital.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Saurabh Banerjee, while issuing notice in the petition moved by five individuals on Monday, slated it for hearing on November 10, 2023.
The petitioners knocked the doors of the High Court alleging that there was a rapid increase in the illegal and unauthorised construction of mosques, mazars, dargahs and graves in public places with an intention to capture more and more land, due to which the public at large was suffering.
The plea stated that the unauthorised constructions are rapidly increasing with intention to capture more and more land illegally and unauthorisedly in the name of pseudo religion due to which the national integrity and National Interest is being jeopardised.”
“The situation is so alarming that such activities might give rise to communal disharmony and is affecting public as well as law and order, but the Respondents are negligent in performing their constitutional responsibilities and duties as no action is being taken against such illegal construction for political reasons thereby giving a jolt to the secular fabric of the Constitution,” the petition added.
Contending that the tendency of raising such illegal constructions is increasing day by day and that the authorities have failed to discharge their duties, the plea sought a direction to the respondents to demolish or remove the religious structures which are raised or constructed at public places, pathways, playgrounds or highways.
The plea further sought a direction to the authorities to ensure that no religious or any type of constructions in the shape of mosque, mazar, dargah or graves be constructed at public land or any place of public utility.
The petitioners were represented by Advocates Hari Shakar Jain, Vishnu Shankar Jain, Amita Sachdeva, Parth Yadav and Mani Munjal.