Dargah in Mumbai’s Mahim demolished day after Raj Thackeray’s ultimatum

A day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray shared a video claiming an ‘illegal dargah’, the authorities of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Mumbai police ordered demolition of the disputed structure. The dargah was being built at Mumbai’s Mahim beach.

The MNS leader had shown the video during a rally, saying, “If the illegal construction is not demolished immediately, then [we will] construct a huge Ganpati temple at the same place.”

According to the Times of India, quoting officials, reported that the spot can be accessed during low tide and the structure and the island-like patch was created gradually by moving materials during low tide. Revenue officials along with BMC and the Police carried out demolition of the structure during low tide and debris was cleared from the site. “Some portion is remaining to be cleared again during low tide,” said an official.

Thackeray on Wednesday played a clip and claimed: “Whose dargah it is? Is it of a fish? It was not there a couple of years ago. If the illegal construction is not demolished immediately, then we would construct a huge Ganpati temple at the same place.”

He further said, “I want to ask the Constitution-abiding Muslims of the country: Do you condone this? I don’t want to flex, but when needed I will have to do it.”

The video which was also shared by the official Twitter handle of the MNS, accused that a new “Haji Ali” was under construction in the sea in Mahim, as per media reports. “A new Hajili is being prepared here. It’s going on in broad daylight, and yet the police, the municipality didn’t see it?” they said.

The MNS leader sought the dismissal of over 17,000 complaints filed against his party members last year when they protested the removal of loudspeakers from mosques.

-INDIA NEWS STREAM