Barricaded at home, Turkman Gate residents say they feel like 'caged animals' after violence

New Delhi, Jan 7 (PTI) Barricaded inside their homes, cut off from routine life and watched over by security personnel at every turn, residents of the Turkman Gate area on Wednesday said they felt like "caged animals", punished for violence they insist they neither supported nor took part in.

At least five police personnel were injured after some people allegedly pelted stones and glass bottles at the police during the demolition drive carried during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday on the land adjoining the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque.

Ever since barricades were erected across the narrow lanes, families said they had been unable to step out even for basic needs.

"We are being treated like criminals for no fault of ours," said Sayed Khan, a local resident.

"The barricades were put up even before the violence happened. Since then, we have been confined inside, not knowing how long this will go on," he rued.

Khan said the restrictions had made daily life extremely difficult in an area already short on basic amenities. "Many homes here do not get water directly and depend on supply from outside. Some houses do not even have proper washrooms," he said.

"We are somehow adjusting for today, but if this extends, we do not know how people will manage." Parents said children were among the worst affected. "My children keep asking why they cannot go to school or even play outside," another resident said.

"They do not understand riots or religious issues. They have Hindu friends as well. These restrictions are forcing them to learn about things they should not be exposed to at this age," he added.

Medical emergencies, residents said, had turned into ordeals. "My mother is sick," a woman said, adding, "I had to seek permission since morning just to take her out. Every movement feels controlled." Several locals also alleged rough behaviour by some security personnel. "We tried sending our children to buy groceries, but they were not allowed," a man said.

"My child came back on the verge of tears, saying an officer spoke rudely to him. How do you explain this to a child?" he added.

Residents said even brief gatherings were not allowed. "If a few people stand together, they are immediately pushed back inside," Khan said, and added, "We understand the need for security, but this feels like punishment." "Everything happened so suddenly," said another resident, requesting anonymity. "One moment it was an ordinary night and the next there were barricades, police everywhere and orders not to step out." He further added that they were not told how long this would last. "We are sitting quietly inside our homes, but it feels like our entire neighbourhood has been sealed off." The narrow lanes near Turkman Gate remained under heavy security, with movement restricted and most residents confined indoors, as teams of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) cleared debris from the demolition site near the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque.

Right outside the lanes, MCD trucks were seen lifting broken tiles, stones and remnants of demolished structures, while police personnel stood guard.

Shuttered shops, overturned scooters, broken tiles and stones marked the locality. Roads, largely cleared of traffic, remained strewn with glass shards and debris.

From rooftops and behind locked iron gates, residents were seen shouting at security personnel deployed across the area. Children watched silently from balconies, some waving handkerchiefs, as most families stayed indoors amid the tense atmosphere.

Meanwhile, police detailed the sequence of events that led to the violence.

According to an FIR lodged at Chandni Mahal police station, a group of 30–35 people allegedly raised slogans against the police, broke barricades and snatched and damaged a loud-hailer during a court-ordered anti-encroachment drive near the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque.

The incident occurred around 12.40 am when a crowd, despite prohibitory orders, gathered near Turkman Gate and began raising slogans against the police, the FIR said.

Violence broke out when the MCD began removing illegal constructions in compliance with the directions of the Delhi High Court.

The police said more than 100 protesters were involved in stone pelting on police personnel and MCD officials during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, leaving five police personnel injured.

Four people, Mohd Arib (25), Mohd Kaif (23), Mohd Kashif (25) and Mohd Hamid (30) have been arrested while a 17-year-old boy has been apprehended. The five people, including the juvenile, were taken into custody and 10–15 others were detained for questioning, the police said.

The police maintained that the residents had been informed in advance about the demolition drive and adequate force had been deployed to maintain law and order.

For those living behind the barricades, however, the questions remained unresolved. "We are not saying security is wrong," Khan said, watching the street from his rooftop. "But why are ordinary people and children paying the price for something they had nothing to do with?" PTI SGV SGV KSS KSS