Mumbai: BMC brings bulldozer to demolish illegal construction around Mazar at Mahim coast

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday began the demolition of the illegal construction around the Mazar that has illegally come up off the Mahim coast in Mumbai. Several of the BMC officers gathered at the spot this morning and surveyed the area. The corporation has also deployed bulldozer to pull down the illegal construction of around the Mazar in question.

Maharashtra | Demolition drive started at the encroached site of 'Dargah' amid heavy police deployment at Mahim beach in Mumbai after MNS chief Raj Thackeray yesterday alleged that a Dargah is being built here illegally. pic.twitter.com/G0yx2c2Wq2

— ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2023

According to the local reports, the authorities are taking action against the illegal construction around the Mazar and not the Mazar itself. It is claimed that the Mazar is old and the land on which it is built is 600 years old. Further as per the ABP Maza report, only illegal construction around the Mazar is being demolished and the officers have no intention to raze down the Mazar.

Along with the BMC officers, the authorities working at the Mahrashtra Maritime Board have also reached the spot to verify the incident. Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar also commented on the issue and said, “Now there is a government that walks on the path of Balasaheb Thackeray. Raj Thackeray raised the issue which was earlier raised by Balasaheb Thackeray. Proceedings have been initiated under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and if any kind of construction has to be done in the sea, then permission should be taken under the CRZ.”

This is a day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray played a clip in his Gudi Padwa address and exposed that an ‘illegal dargah’ has come up off the Mahim coast in Mumbai. He demanded removal of the illegal dargah and said that if it is not demolished immediately, then his party would construct a huge Ganpati temple at the same place.

संपूर्ण व्हिडीओ : सन्मा. राजसाहेबांनी आज एक अत्यंत महत्त्वाची बाब समोर आणली… सरकारचं/प्रशासनाचं दुर्लक्ष झाल्यावर काय होतं ते पहा… माहीमच्या मगदूम बाबा दर्ग्याच्या इकडे समुद्रात हे अनधिकृत बांधकाम केलं. २ वर्षांपूर्वी हे काहीच नव्हतं. इथे नवीन हाजीअली तयार करणं सुरु आहे.… pic.twitter.com/BQ2CH1NmCb

— MNS Adhikrut – मनसे अधिकृत (@mnsadhikrut) March 22, 2023

He also slammed the Municipal authorities for staying indifferent to illegal constructions. The video of his speech was shared widely on social media. He could be heard saying in the video that a ‘new Haji Ali’ was being prepared in the middle of the sea in broad daylight and yet the police and the municipality could not see it.

“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,” Raj Thackeray said adding that the ‘illegal dargah’ was built near the dargah of Makhdum Baba in Mahim.

The Mahim Dargah Trust however took cognizance of the incident and said that the ‘illegal dargah’ as alleged by Thackeray is 600 years old. “This place is 600 years old. It is not built recently as claimed by Thackeray. Basically, Hazrat Makdoom Ali Shah used to sit at this place and take lessons from Hazrat Khwaja Khizr Ali Shah. This is a historical place,” said Suhail Khandwani, Trustee of Mahim Dargah.

The video Raj Thackeray was widely circulated through social media, and some people asserted that Mahim’s mysterious dargah was even visible on Google Maps. However, local reports reveal that the BMC is pulling down only the illegal construction around the Mazar and has no intention to raze down the illegal Mazar.

Source: OpIndia