Delhi's bureaucracy faces mounting stress as the BJP-led government ramps up an intensive anti-encroachment drive across the city. Recent operations, such as the January 7, 2026, demolition at Ramlila Maidan near Turkman Gate's Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid, underscore the intensity, with 17 bulldozers clearing 36,000 sq ft of structures including a diagnostic centre and banquet hall, amid violent clashes injuring five police personnel. MCD officials coordinated with local stakeholders like the Aman Committee beforehand, following Delhi High Court directives from November 2025 to remove encroachments on 38,940 sq ft of public land. 

 

Administrative pressures intensify due to legal oversight, with courts demanding responses from MCD, Delhi Waqf Board, and Urban Development Ministry, while BJP leaders like Dilip Jaiswal defend the actions as clearing illegal occupations on government property, regardless of religious sites. Bureaucrats juggle logistical challenges—deploying heavy machinery, ensuring police backup, and managing public backlash—against a backdrop of ongoing Ridge forest encroachments and NGT-mandated protections. This drive signals a broader BJP policy push post-2024 Assembly win, straining resources and testing inter-agency coordination in India's capital.