A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, Karnail Singh, led a mob of supporters to demolish a structure he described as a madrasa under construction, in Delhi’s Pitampura area on Thursday, May 21, claiming the structure stood on land belonging to the Delhi Development Authority. However, the local authorities said the land was being contested in the High Court.
MLA Karnail Singh and his group of supporters, about 80 to 100 people, attempted to demolish what the legislator described as an illegal madrasa in Pitampura. Singh claimed the court had already ordered the land to be vacated. However, as per local police, the construction was nothing but a boundary wall of four to five feet that had come up in the last two months.
‘I warn you, namaz won’t be offered here’
According to local eyewitnesses, the demolition was accompanied by open displays of communal hostility. The mob, led by Singh, verbally abused and branded children studying at madrasas as “terrorists.” Singh filmed and shared the episode on Facebook. By the time the crowd dispersed, the walls had been completely razed. The nearby mosque, which stands roughly 100 metres away, was not touched. The mosque committee distanced itself from the disputed structure entirely, clarifying it had no connection to the wall.
“I had waited for the authorities to act for four months, but when they didn’t, we had to take matters into our own hands,” Singh was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times, adding that he had documents showing the land was with DDA and had no objection to the mosque. “I take responsibility and am not scared of any repercussions,” he added.
No police action has been reported against those who led or participated in the demolition.
A video surfaced on social media, where the BJP MLA publicly threatened the madrasa’s imam. “Yaha namaz nahi padhi jayegi. (Namaz will not be offered here).”
“Me inko chatauni ke roop me kah raha hu aaj ke baad yaha namaz nahi padhe jaayegi. Yeh chatauni samjhe ya anurodh samjhe (I am issuing this as a final ultimatum: from this day forward, no prayers shall be offered here. Take it as a final warning or a request),” Singh said.
Between June 2024 and February 2026, at least 20 documented demolition actions were recorded against Muslim establishments, with 11 of them triggered by complaints or PILs alleging illegal construction. In 2025 alone, 69 Islamic religious sites were either bulldozed or declared illegal. The Supreme Court had, in November 2024, declared so-called “bulldozer justice” unconstitutional, yet such actions have continued.
This incident has sparked renewed demands for accountability and protection of minority institutions in the national capital.
