At least five police personnel were injured after an anti-encroachment drive near a mosque at Delhi’s Ramlila Ground area turned violent early Wednesday, officials said.

The clashes broke out when around 300 officials and workers of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), supported by police personnel, were carrying out a demolition drive at land adjoining the Syed Faiz Elahi mosque and graveyard near Turkman Gate. The action was undertaken following directions issued by the Delhi High Court.

According to the police, a group of local residents began pelting stones at officials during the demolition, forcing security forces to use tear gas to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control.

Police use tear gas as stone-pelting escalates

A senior police officer said that around 25 to 30 people were involved in stone pelting during the operation, resulting in injuries to five policemen. All injuries were reported to be minor.

The demolition drive was conducted during night hours to minimise inconvenience to the general public. During the operation, a banquet hall and a dispensary located on the encroached land were demolished.

Police officials said more than 100 video clips are being examined to identify those involved in the violence. Cases will be registered based on statements from injured police personnel and MCD workers.

Encroachment clearance linked to high court order

Officials deployed nearly 30 bulldozers and 50 dump trucks to remove unauthorised constructions from the area. The action follows a November 2025 Delhi High Court order that granted three months to the MCD and the Public Works Department to clear encroachments spread across 38,940 square feet near the Ramlila Ground at Turkman Gate.

In December, the civic body stated that all constructions beyond 0.195 acres were unauthorised and liable for demolition. Authorities maintained that no documents were produced to establish ownership or lawful possession of the encroached land by either the mosque’s managing committee or the Delhi Waqf Board. The 0.195-acre parcel under lease houses the mosque and is not part of the demolition action.

The encroachments reportedly included parts of a road, footpath, parking area, a baraat ghar and a private diagnostic centre.

High court seeks responses on plea challenging demolition

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notices to multiple authorities, including the MCD, Ministry of Urban Development, Delhi Development Authority, PWD and the Delhi Waqf Board, on a petition challenging the demolition order.

Justice Amit Bansal observed that the matter required consideration and directed the authorities to file their responses within four weeks. The case has been listed for further hearing on April 22.

The mosque’s managing committee, which filed the plea, argued that the land is a notified waqf property governed by the Waqf Act and falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Waqf Tribunal. The committee said it has no objection to the removal of encroachments but raised concerns regarding the functioning of the graveyard on the land.

The MCD reiterated that no action is being taken against the 0.195-acre land leased in February 1940.

Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has triggered a controversy after making a remark comparing India to Venezuela and questioning whether a similar situation could unfold under US President Donald Trump, a comment that drew sharp criticism and ridicule on social media.

Referring to a US military action in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, Chavan posed a rhetorical question during his attack on the Narendra Modi government over India-US trade tensions. He asked whether something similar could happen in India and whether Trump could “kidnap” India’s prime minister — a statement many online users described as absurd.

The remark quickly went viral, prompting a barrage of criticism. Several social media users mocked the comparison, pointing out that India is a nuclear power and calling the statement irresponsible and ill-considered.

Former Jammu and Kashmir director general of police S P Vaid strongly criticised Chavan’s comments, calling them “humiliating for the entire country.” Vaid questioned whether such a comparison reflected the Congress party’s broader thinking and urged leaders to exercise restraint while speaking on sensitive geopolitical matters.

Tariff issue behind the political attack

Chavan’s comments came as part of the Congress’s criticism of the Modi government over steep tariffs imposed by the United States on Indian goods. He argued that a 50 per cent tariff effectively blocks bilateral trade, particularly exports from India to the US.

According to Chavan, such tariffs have reduced export earnings for Indian businesses, forcing the country to explore alternative markets. He said efforts were already underway to diversify trade destinations as a response to the situation.

Kharge targets Modi over Trump remarks

The controversy follows recent remarks by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who cited comments attributed to Trump regarding India’s purchase of Russian oil. Kharge referred to an audio clip in which Trump claimed that India was willing to reduce its Russian oil imports after facing US tariffs.

Kharge used the remarks to allege that Prime Minister Modi was acting under pressure from the US president, questioning the nature of the much-publicised friendship between the two leaders. He compared the situation to a popular film dialogue to underline his criticism.

Trade data shows export growth despite tariffs

Despite the political sparring, official trade data shows that India’s merchandise exports to the United States rose 22.61 per cent to $6.98 billion in November, even after the imposition of steep tariffs.

During the April–November period of the current financial year, exports to the US increased by 11.38 per cent to $59.04 billion, while imports from the US rose 13.49 per cent to $35.4 billion, reflecting continued trade engagement between the two countries.

The Election Commission has removed 2.89 crore voters from Uttar Pradesh’s electoral rolls in the draft revised list released after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

According to the commission, the updated draft list now includes 12.56 crore voters, a significant decline from 15.44 crore voters recorded in October 2025, when the revision process began.

Majority removed due to migration and deaths

Of the total voters deleted from the rolls, 2.17 crore individuals were found to have shifted their residence, while 46.23 lakh voters were identified as deceased. Another 25.47 lakh voters were removed for being registered at more than one location.

The SIR exercise was conducted to clean up the voter database by eliminating duplicate, outdated and invalid entries, officials said.

Voters can verify names through ECINET app

The commission has urged voters to check their names in the draft list using the ECINET mobile application, which allows verification through smartphones.

The final electoral roll for Uttar Pradesh will be published on March 6, after addressing claims and objections received during the draft phase.