There is a controversy brewing around the Al-Mateen Mosque in Delhi’s Brahmapuri area. This mosque was already in lane number-13, but now efforts are being made to extend it to lane number-12. The notable thing is that the new gate is to be opened near the Shiv Temple.
People of the area are saying that this mosque was built fraudulently and now the insistence to make it bigger is part of a conspiracy. MCD has stopped the construction for now, but an attempt to suppress the matter by putting up mosque’s board is also visible. Hindus are scared, because bullets were fired from this mosque during the 2020 anti-Hindu riots. On the other hand, Muslims are saying that they will build a mosque when peace is restored. So what is the entire matter, Let’s understand it in simple language.
The starting of the mosque: The journey from flat to mosque
The story of Al-Mateen Mosque of Brahmapuri begins in 2013. Pandit Lal Shankar Gautam, who lives here, says, “In 2013, some Muslim people bought a flat in Gali No. 13. At first they started offering Namaaz there, no one had any problem. But gradually, that flat was converted into a mosque.”
Pandit Gautam says that earlier it was just an ordinary house, but later it was turned into a four-storey mosque. He believes that all this was done purposefully, so that the hold of Muslims in the area becomes strong. Initially no one cared, but after the 2020 anti-Hindu riots, people’s eyes opened.
Expansion of the mosque: Conspiracy or necessity
After the year 2020, efforts to expand the mosque started. In 2023, the mosque people bought a plot next to the existing structure in lane number-12. This plot earlier belonged to a Hindu family. Gautam says, “First they bought that house, then demolished it and started building a part of the mosque there. All this was done very thoughtfully.”
Hindus fear that if the mosque is expanded, the crowd will increase, and subsequently the danger for them will increase. Gautam says, “We cannot forget what happened in 2020. If the mosque becomes twice as big, then imagine how many people will gather here. This is a warning bell for us.” On the other hand, the deputy Imam of the mosque, Saddam Hussain, says, “Our population is increasing. The mosque had become too small. What is wrong in this? We want to live in peace.”
Anti-Hindu riots are a big cause of fear
The riots that took place in the north-eastern areas of Delhi in the month of February in the year 2020 were a nightmare for the people of Brahmapuri. At that time, there was a lot of violence in Seelampur, Jafrabad and Brahmapuri. 53 people were killed and hundreds were injured. During these riots, the name of Al-Mateen Mosque came to the fore.
Shankar Lal Gautam says, “On February 25, bullets were fired from the mosque. Thousands of people suddenly gathered there. It was said that the mosque was set on fire, which was a lie. After this, there was firing in Gali No. 13, in which three Hindu boys were injured.” After that incident, fear gripped the Hindus. People started feeling that the mosque was not built here only for worship, but for some other purpose. After the riots, many Hindu families left from the area and sold their houses.
The expansion of the mosque was stopped many times, now MCD is being accused
The matter of expansion of this mosque is going on since 2023. When the work started, people complained to the police and the construction stopped. Then the mosque people took permission from Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on November 23, 2024. After this, the construction work started again in February 2025.
However, on February 13, 2025, the North-East District Police again received a complaint. When the police investigated, it was found that the map of the mosque was passed in an incorrect manner. MCD immediately stopped the work and sent a notice to the mosque people. The construction has been stopped for about a month since then. On March 3, there was also news of stone pelting in the area, but the police did not find any evidence.
However, Hindus feel that the MCD is trying to suppress the matter. Shankar Lal Gautam says, “Now a board has been put up stating that the construction work is going on with the permission of the MCD, even though it is banned. Despite this, the board has not been removed. First they passed the wrong map, now they are pretending.” He believes that all this is happening under some pressure.
Muslims have belief that the construction work will definitely be completed in future
The people of the mosque say that they will not give up. Naib Imam Saddam Hussain says, “We are confident that this construction work will definitely be completed after the situation cools down. Right now there is pressure from the police and MCD, but this will not last long.”
Some local Muslims say that they are waiting for the situation to calm down. A shopkeeper nearby said, “Right now everyone is quiet, but as soon as we get a chance, the work will start. We want our mosque.”
This attitude is scaring the Hindus of the area even more. They feel that this peace is only superficial and something bad can happen later.
Community center excuse: truth or lie
Now the people of the mosque are saying that they were not building a mosque in lane number 12, but a community center. Saddam Hussain claims, “We wanted to build a place for children to study. We were also thinking of calling a doctor there. This is not a conspiracy, but Hindus are not able to digest this.”
Gautam says, “All this is an excuse. Earlier there was talk of building a mosque, now when there was opposition, the story was changed.” Some local Muslims also believe that in fact a mosque was being built. One person says, “The talk of community center is just to keep people quiet.”
Everything was on hold till Delhi assembly elections
In this case, a question also arises that why everyone was silent till the voting of the assembly elections in Delhi, in February this year. Some people feel that the mosque people hoped that Arvind Kejriwal’s government would come back and the decision would be in their favour.
Shankar Lal Gautam says, “There was no development before the voting for the assembly elections. Perhaps they thought that Kejriwal’s government would suppress us (Hindus). Now that the government has changed, the situation on ground has changed” Hindus suspect that the matter of community center was also brought up due to this change in dynamics on the ground, so that the dispute cools down a bit.
After the anti-Hindu 2020 riots, the migration of Hindus has increased from Brahmapuri. Earlier, both the communities used to live together in lane number 12 and 13, but now most of the houses are being bought by Muslims. An elderly person says, “Earlier everything was fine here. After the riots, there was fear. Now seeing the expansion of the mosque, it seems that there is a preparation to drive us away.”
People believe that first the mosque will be expanded, then the atmosphere will change, and then Hindus will leave under compulsion. However, Muslims say, “We are paying good money, so people are selling”, even though Hindus say this is happening out of fear.
The dispute in Brahmapuri is not just about the mosque. It is a story of fear, mistrust and old wounds. Hindus feel they are being driven away in the name of the mosque, while Muslims say they need space. The MCD and the police have maintained peace for now, but people are scared about how long this will last. Was the community center ever really being built, or just an excuse to save the mosque? The answer is not clear yet, but the people of Brahmapuri are living between fear and hope.
