Malik Maqbool constructed the 13th-century Khirki Masjid who was the prime minister of Sultan Feroze Shah Tughlaq. There is no writing at the mosque to indicate its history, but the Gazetteer of India 1915 mentioned it as Khirki Masjid.
A few months ago, unknown miscreants had struck off the word ‘masjid’ from the ASI signage at the monument. Then a group of people claiming to be Khirki Masjid area locals had approached DMC, claiming that it was the Rajput king’s fort.
Finally, the Archaeological Survey of India had responded to the claims by an unknown group of people that it is actually a fort of Rajput warrior Maharana Pratap. It has assured the Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) in writing and verbally that the monument is safe and is under protection since 1915.
DMC chairman Zafarul Islam Khan said, “As far as we know, there is nothing in recorded history about the masjid ever being a fort of Maharana Pratap. We asked ASI to refute these claims and issue a clarification to end the matter once and for all. If such things are repeated over time, it can lead to unnecessary controversy.”
“Khirki Masjid is a 13th-century, Tughlaq-era mosque and there is absolutely no question about raising any doubts about it. No one has approached us or written to us with any claim that the masjid was a fort. There is nothing in history to ever indicate any such thing, no documentation, archives, research, books, scientific evidence, nothing. For us, it’s a non-issue,” said a senior ASI official.