Samajwadi Party MP Mohibbullah Nadvi has come under police scrutiny following clashes and stone-pelting near the Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid area in central Delhi, triggered by a late-night demolition drive carried out by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) close to Turkman Gate.
The unrest broke out amid heightened tensions over the anti-encroachment operation, with police now preparing to summon the MP to join the investigation into the violence, sources told ABP News.
MP’s Presence At Site Under Investigation
Delhi Police on Wednesday confirmed that Nadvi was present at the site when tensions flared, though officials said he left before the demolition work formally began.
“In a preliminary investigation, it has come to light that he was present there, but had left by the time the demolition started. This aspect is being examined,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range) Madhur Verma told news agency PTI.
How The Clashes Unfolded
According to police, the situation escalated after a social media post went viral late at night, falsely claiming that the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque was being demolished as part of the MCD drive. The claim triggered panic and anger, drawing a crowd of around 150 to 200 people to the spot.
Police said the gathering soon turned violent, with stones and glass bottles hurled at MCD officials and law enforcement personnel, PTI reported. Nadvi, the MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur Lok Sabha constituency and the Imam of the Parliament Street mosque, was among those present during the initial phase of the unrest.
As police attempted to disperse the crowd using tear gas, clashes intensified. Several police personnel were injured in the chaos, officials said. So far, 10 to 15 people have been detained in connection with the violence near Turkman Gate.
Investigators are now piecing together events leading up to the clashes, examining video footage and witness accounts to determine individual roles, including that of the SP MP.