The Brahmapuri area of North-East Delhi is once again in the headlines these days. The tension between Hindu and Muslim communities is increasing due to the expansion of the Al-Mantin Mosque here. Every year Holika Dahan takes place in front of the mosque, but this time the festival of Holi is colliding with the namaz and the month of Ramadan. In such a situation, there is an atmosphere of fear and apprehension among the local people.
A large part of the Hindu community is looking at it by linking it to the 2020 Delhi riots, when there was talk of firing bullets and thousands of crowds from this mosque. Is Brahmapuri really turning into an Islamic episode, or is it just a dispute made? To go to its root, we talked to the local people and investigated the background.
Masjid expansion and notice of ‘house for sale’
The Al-Metin Mosque was already running in a four-storey house in street number-13. But recently a plan was made to expand it. Now this mosque is being spread to the adjacent plot. Firstly, the land next to the mosque was purchased from the Hindu family by making a very fine plan and then a new building is being built there by breaking that one-storey house, which is originally to expand the mosque of street number 13.
This entire incident was carried out with a lot of planning. Local people are afraid that Hindus were attacked on 25 February 2020, if the mosque grew 2 times by the Islamic mob from this Al-Mastin Mosque, imagine how many more attackers will be deposited at their own doors. This is the reason that notices of ‘houses are sold’ have been imposed on 25-30 houses out of 60 houses of Brahmapuri’s street number-12.
The complainant Pandit Shankar Lal Gautam, who opposed the expansion of this al-fate mosque, says, “This construction is illegal. MCD was misled and passed the map. There is a pagoda right next to the mosque. If the mosque gate is opened here, both communities will be face to face, and tension will increase. We don’t want anything like 2020. ” Shankar Lal alleges that this is not just the expansion of the mosque, but a conspiracy to change the area’s demography. According to him, most of the houses from Hindus selling and purchased have been from the Muslim community since the riots.
2020 anti -Hindu riot: a wound that is not yet filled
The riots in the north-eastern part of Delhi in the month of February 2020 are still fresh in the minds of the people. Violence in areas like Seilampur, Jafarabad and Brahmapuri killed 53 people and injured hundreds. During this time the name of Al-Mastin Mosque also came into the limelight. Local people claim that bullets were fired from the mosque and suddenly a crowd of thousands gathered there. The videos and photos near the opindia describe the horrific situation of the time – burning houses, debris scattered on the streets and scared people. Video footage, which are currently safe in hard drives and are also present in the police-court records, confirm that the area had turned into a battlefield during violence.
Do you remember the 2020 anti -Hindu riots? Hindus were targeted and attacked in East Delhi. The attackers moved out of mosques in the same style and moved towards the settlements of Hindus. Today, a crowd of thousands of Muslims attacked the Al-Mahin Mosque of Brahmapuri which is expanding. pic.twitter.com/Af5LTZ2KPV
– Shravan shukla (@epatrakaar) March 7, 2025
Demography in Brahmapuri has changed rapidly since that time. Many families of the Hindu community sold their houses and left the area. Local resident Dinesh Sharma (name changed) says, “The atmosphere here changed after 2020. In the riots, we lost our people, burnt the house and fear that many people left from here. Now seeing the expansion of the mosque, it seems that all the same will happen again. ” There is a deep fear in Ramesh’s talk, which belongs to many Hindu families of street number-12, not just him.
Muslim side allegations – “Controversy is being forced”
We had a conversation with Naib Imam Saddam Hussain of Al-Metin found standing in front of the mosque. He says, “Our population is increasing, the existing mosque was small. Started expansion on the plot found in donations, what is wrong with this? Some people want to fight among themselves, so keep it an issue. ” Saddam Hussain claims that selling houses is their own will. “There is a good price here, so people are selling. Nobody is doing force. we want peace.”
Saddam Hussain said that in street number 12, land has been taken for the community center, not the mosque. However, local Muslims claim that mosque is being built there. People of the Muslim community also say that they are big hearted. Every year Holika Dahan takes place in front of the mosque, and she has no objection. But the Hindu side considers it a hidden truth. A woman, who does not want to mention her name, says, “These people talk about peace from outside, but everyone knows what happened in 2020. Now Holi and Ramadan have come together, there will be prayers of juma, and we are afraid that there is no big game. ”
Holi and Ramadan confrontation
This time the festival of Holi is on 24 March, which is falling with the prayers of Jumme and the month of Ramadan. Holika Dahan takes place every year in front of the mosque, but this time people are scared due to tension. Ajay Kumar, a resident of street number-12, says, “The police is still in peace, but what will happen if the soldiers go away?” In 2020 too, everything was alright first, then a sudden attack took place. We do not want to lose our children. ” The fear of 2020 is clearly reflected in Ajay’s talk, when violence engulfed the entire area.
The special thing is that the Al-Masjid was running in a private house. In the matter, this place was converted into a mosque and ‘Zakat’ was given in the name of the society. The mosque located in street number 13 is 10 to 12 years old, which was slowly erected. Now it is 4 storey. Whereas Holika Dahan has been happening at this place since long ago.
Actually, the land next to Al-Metin Mosque located in street number 13 is towards street number 12. There is also a small cut connecting street number 12 and 13. Where the mosque gate could be built, but in street number 12, where the mosque gate was tried, there is a Shiva temple in front of it. Hindus are opposing this. Because the Shiva temple is built in 1984. This is not from today, while the mosque has been built only in the last decade. People also worship in the temple on the day of Holika Dahan. Not only Holika, people worship every Monday from Mahashivaratri. After reading this report, things automatically become clear what is the reality. Who is already and who came later.
Police and MCD action
Seeing the increase in dispute, Delhi Police has increased patrolling in the area. Soldiers are stationed on the spot and MCD banned the construction work. A show cause notice has been issued to the Al-Mantin Society, in which it is alleged that the map was passed by giving incorrect information. Police say that both communities are talking about peace, and no major incident happened yet. But the local BJP corporation councilor says, “This is an attempt to spoil the atmosphere. We will not allow Hindus to flee. “
Accused of demography change
The Hindu community considers mosque construction as a ‘Modus Operanday’. They say that first mosque is formed, then the atmosphere changes, and Hindu migration is forced. This trend has been seen in Brahmapuri since 2020. An elderly resident says, “Earlier Hindus and Muslims lived here. Everything changed after the riots. Now seeing the expansion of the mosque, it seems that we are preparing to drive away from here. ”
Please tell that the disputed street of Brahmapuri comes in number 12-13 Maujpur-Word No. 228. Here 3 Hindu youths were injured in firing after an attack on Hindus on 25 February 2025 in 2020. This street number 13 has an Al-Mahin Mosque, which is being expanded.
There has been tremendous pressure on Hindus since the 2020 riots. They are selling their homes. Muslims say that they are paying good money, so people are selling houses, while the reality is that people have become difficult. They are living in the shadow of fear, so migration is being forced. His hearts are still fresh in their hearts.
In such a situation, this dispute of Brahmapuri is not limited to mosque construction. This is the result of the 2020 riots wounds, fear of demography change and conflict of religious festivals. There is still peace due to the action of the police and MCD, but there is an apprehension in the minds of the people. Both Hindus and Muslims are praising Delhi Police, but the question is whether this peace will be sustainable? Or will this coincidence of Holi and Ramadan once again throw Brahmapuri in the 2020 fire? The answer is near time, but at the moment the people here are living amidst fear and hope.
