A portion of a mosque in New Delhi has been demolished by the authorities as the drive against illegal construction continues in the city.

New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) took the action on Tuesday in Bengali Market and demolished Madrasa Tehfizul Quran.

The general secretary of the mosque committee, Matloob Karim Hafiz, said that the action was taken without serving any prior notice.

A wall and portions of several rooms that were illegally constructed at a residential madrasa in the Bengali Market area were demolished, but there was no damage to the prayer area inside the mosque, officials told Hindustan Times.

The drive began around 6.20 am and lasted for several hours.

“I got a call from Masjid early in the morning about a huge police force and civic body officials reaching the side to demolish a portion of the premise,” Hafiz told Times of India. “They came with a bulldozer and demolished the walls of the main hall and rooms constructed here.”

He said there were 21 kids between the ages of 5 and 14 years sleeping in those rooms.

The mosque is said to be 250 years old while, the demolished section was constructed during the recent renovation work.