Man in Viral Video Says New Mazar Built in Delhi; Police, Locals Rubbish Claim

Delhi Police's DCP (North) said that there was no new construction in the area as claimed in the video.

Locals told Delhi Police that the structure may have been there for around 40-45 years.

(Photo Courtesy: WhatsApp screengrab)

After a video of a man filming a mazar (Islamic shrine), saying that the small structure had been constructed and would lead to a larger mosque being built in the "VIP" area did the rounds, locals clarified that the structure had been there for at least 40 years.

The unidentified man filming the video warns "fellow residents of Delhi" that the "illegal" construction of mazars was a growing phenomenon and would be built into a religious place, that would end up being a major "election issue," ending the video by raising the Jai Shri Ram slogan.

Placing the mazar in Delhi's Civil Lines area, he adds that the police personnel present at an outpost across the shrine had no answers as to when the structure was constructed, or under whose governance it was erected.

As per DCP North, the mazar near Budh Vihar Pocket in Delhi is not a new construction and has been there "for many years."

The DCP's office spoke to local residents, including a man who lived across the road, who clarified that the small structure may have been there for the past 40-45 years.

Confirming that no new construction had been reported in the area, the DCP said that a 65-year-old woman named Basanti, who resides in a dilapidated shanty at the site, has been living there for 40 years.

Basanti, who lives with her nephew Sanjay showed them government-issued documents reflecting the same location as their address and said that she routinely carried out Hindu religious practices in their house.