Wakeel Hassan punished for being Muslim: Mehbooba Mufti

Rat-hole miner Wakeel Hassan, whose house was razed in a demolition drive by Delhi Development Authority (DDA), has been punished only for being a Muslim, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti said on Thursday.

Hassan and five other members of his rat-hole mining team live in north-east Delhi's Khajoori Khas, while the rest are from Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr. In December 2023, 12 members of the team were hailed as heroes following their rescue of 41 miners trapped for 17 days in a collapsed tunnel in Silkyara, Uttarakhand, using rat-hole mining techniques where far more sophisticated methods had failed.

"So much love for Pasmanda Muslims that Vakil (sic) Hassan, commended by the PM for his heroic act in saving lives of 41 workers trapped in Silkiyara tunnel, that his humble abode was singled out and demolished by DDA (Delhi Development Authority). Instead of rewarding him for his bravery, he is punished only for being a Muslim. Is this how BJP intends to uplift so-called Pasmanda marginalised Muslims?" Mufti said in a post on X.

Several houses, including that of Hassan, were razed in a demolition drive carried out by the DDA in Khajoori Khas area on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Hassan shared a video of the area, claiming the building he and his family was residing in was "razed in the drive". In the video clip, Hassan also claimed that he had to go to a police station in connection with this incident.

The DDA said the demolition drive was carried out on land that was “part of planned development land”. Police said several structures built illegally were demolished during the drive, though accusations of selective demolition have come up.

"On 28 February, a demolition drive was conducted by the DDA to remove encroachment from its acquired land in village Khajoori Khas. The land was part of planned development land," the DDA said in a statement, in response to a query about the drive.