The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Development Authority to refrain from initiating any action against the Shahi Idgah in Sadar Bazar concerning a religious gathering held in the adjacent park in December 2024. Justice Vikas Mahajan issued a notice to the DDA following a petition by the Shahi Idgah Managing Committee, seeking the authority’s response.
The dispute centres on the installation of a statue of freedom fighter Rani Lakshmi Bai in the Shahi Idgah Park, a move contested by the Shahi Idgah Managing Committee. The committee argued that the park is Waqf property and primarily used for religious purposes, thus opposing the statue’s installation.
Civic agencies, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the DDA, informed the High Court that the statue’s installation does not infringe upon the rights of individuals offering prayers at the site. They clarified that the statue was installed in a corner of the park, approximately 200 meters from the Idgah wall, with a boundary wall constructed to maintain respect for the surrounding environment.
The High Court noted that the issue had been mutually resolved by the parties involved. The Shahi Idgah Managing Committee acknowledged that the mistrust had been addressed due to the court’s intervention. The court disposed of the plea, recording the submissions made by the DDA and MCD.
Previously, the High Court had dismissed a petition opposing the statue’s installation, stating that the surrounding area inside the Idgah boundary, including parks and open grounds, belongs to the DDA. The court emphasized that the committee’s claim over the entire property within the Idgah walls could not be sustained in law.
The court also addressed concerns about potential interference with religious practices, stating that the committee’s right to offer prayers or perform religious duties was not being jeopardized by the statue’s installation or the maintenance of the surrounding park by the DDA.
The Shahi Idgah Managing Committee had argued that the statue’s installation could interfere with religious practices and claimed ownership of the park as Waqf property. However, the court found no merit in these arguments, stating that the committee had no legal or fundamental right to oppose the DDA’s management of the parks or to prevent the statue’s installation by the MCD.
Bangladeshi Official Advocates Northeast India Occupation 