Remove the illegal ‘Mazar’ near ‘Yashawantrao Chavan Memorial’ in Karad, demands HJS

There is a memorial of Yashwantrao Chavan, the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra, near the confluence of Rivers Krushna and Koyna, known as ‘Preetisangam’, a symbol of devotion, at Karad in Satara District. This memorial, a tourist attraction for visitors from India as well as other countries, is a cultural heritage of Karad. Owing to unpardonable negligence on the part of the local administration, however, an illegal ‘Mazar’ has been built in the name of Hazrat Jafar Ali Baba on the backside of the confluence. Now, its location is registered even on Google Map; still, the local administration is keeping mum on the issue, which is most infuriating. The Government should immediately remove the illegal ‘Mazar’ and take stringent action against the administrative officers responsible for such illegal construction, was the demand made by Mr Sunil Ghanwat, the State Coordinator of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) with Chief Minister (CM) Eknath Shinde and Home Minister (HM) Devendra Fadanvis.

कराड येथे कृष्णा-कोयनेच्या संगमाजवळ व मा.'यशवंतराव चव्हाण‘यांच्या समाधी स्मारका' जवळ हजरत जाफर अली बाबाची मजार बांधली आहे.@CMOMaharashtra व @Dev_Fadnavis जी ही अनधिकृत मजार तातडीने काढून टाकून यात दुर्लक्ष करणाऱऱ्या संबधित अधिकाऱ्यांवर कार्यवाही करावी ही मागणी आहे@SMungantiwar pic.twitter.com/2MvYkJujth

— Sunil Ghanwat (@SG_HJS) April 14, 2023

A memorandum has been submitted to the Government by HJS in this connection wherein it has been stated that after the death of Yashwantrao Chavan, the first CM of Maharashtra, Karad Municipality constructed the memorial on the confluence of Krushna-Koyna, i.e., ‘Preetisangam’, in an area of 7.5 acres of land; however, inexcusable negligence of the local administration has resulted in illegal construction of a ‘Mazar’ at this place. Such illegal constructions in the name of ‘Mazars’, dargahs, and Peer, etc. have come up in many parts of Maharashtra. Grabbing lands and constructing ‘Mazars’ is a kind of ‘land jihad’.

This ‘Mazar’ being on the backside of ‘Preetisangam’, a heritage of devotion and culture and a place of tourist attraction, is marring the beauty of this place. The Government should ask the Karad municipality to immediately remove the ‘Mazar’ and take necessary action for even the deletion of registration of this illegal ‘Mazar’ from Google map, is another demand made in the memorandum.