The Delhi High Court on Wednesday turned down a plea by Save India Foundation, a right-wing aligned NGO, that sought the removal of what it claimed were illegal encroachments on the Yamuna floodplains, including one mazar and three dargahs.
A bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela questioned the intent of the organisation, pointing out its pattern of selectively targeting Muslim shrines. “This must be the fifth or sixth petition of this kind. Why is it always mazars? Why not other structures? If you are genuinely concerned about public interest, there are many more constructive ways to serve people,” the Chief Justice remarked during the hearing.
While the judges clarified that they were not pronouncing on the legality of the religious structures mentioned, they underlined that public interest litigation should not be used for selective campaigns. The court eventually disposed of the case, directing government authorities to address the representation in due course.
The petition was moved by Preet Singh, founder of Save India Foundation, who claimed that government land was being usurped “through pseudo-religious structures.” He cited one mazar in Budh Vihar Phase 2 and three dargahs in Rohtak Road, Seelampur, and Burari as examples of alleged encroachment.
Singh himself faces multiple criminal cases linked to communal speech. He was arrested in 2021 for organising a Jantar Mantar event where anti-Muslim slogans were raised, and in 2022, he and his group were booked for hate speech at the ‘Hindu Mahapanchayat’ in Burari. He is presently out on bail.
Save India Foundation has repeatedly brought similar matters before the High Court. In July, its petition against alleged encroachments on land earmarked for a graveyard and cremation ground in Bawana was dismissed. Earlier in April, another plea accusing a mosque and shops of occupying MCD school land in Wazirpur met the same fate. Both cases were left to the authorities for verification.
Court records show that the NGO has filed at least 20 petitions this year, most of them alleging encroachments in Delhi. A majority focus on Muslim places of worship, with nearly a dozen still pending.
