On Saturday, tension occurred in Dharavi slum, Mumbai after hundreds of Muslim residents gathered on a road and protest against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s plan to demolish an alleged illegal portion of a mosque. An official said, ‘A large number of police personnel have been gathered there to prevent any incident in view of the ongoing situation’.
Notably, the incident occurred when police and administration reached at Mehboob-e-Subaniya Mosque in Dharavi to demolish an unauthorised construction. A large number of Muslims gathered on the road and stopped the authorities from carrying out the demolition by blocking the lane that leads to the mosque. However, the mob also damaged vehicles belonging to the BMC that arrived for the demolition. The locals blocked the road, creating tension in the area.
A police official said the media, ‘A team of BMC officials from G-North administrative ward reached the 90 Feet Road in Dharavi around 9 am to demolish alleged illegal portion of Mehboob-E-Subhani masjid. A large number of local residents gathered at the spot and stopped the civic officials from entering the lane where the mosque is located’. He further added that later hundreds of people also gathered outside the Dharavi police station located there and squatted on the road to protest against the plan to demolish the illegal construction of the mosque. A delegation from the mosque, BMC officials and Dharavi police are presently holding the talks to resolve the issue.
A large number of police personnel have been deployed to prevent any untoward incident in view of the prevailing situation. Meanwhile, the Congress party has come in support of the illegal construction by the mosque. Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad met Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and demanded that the sentiments of the Muslims should be respected. She wrote on X, ‘Today I met the Chief Minister regarding the BMC’s demolition notice to Mehboob-e-Subaniya Mosque in Dharavi and conveyed the sentiments of the people. I had a positive conversation with the Chief Minister. He said that he will talk to the concerned officials and assured that the demolition proceedings will be stopped’.
She also posted a copy of a letter which she handed over to the Maharashtra CM, where she wrote that the mosque near Himalaya Hotel in Dharavi has been in existence for many years. She demanded that Dharavi Rehabilitation Authority (DRP) should probe the encroachment of this mosque, and any demolition should be carried out only after the DRP report.
Comments