Pune: Govt land in Kondhwa’s Hindu locality allotted for playground being converted into Muslim ‘Qabristan’

In a shocking case that has come to the fore from the Kondhwa region of Maharashtra’s Pune district, government land that had been earlier allotted for the construction of a playground is now being converted into a Muslim burial ground. This is after the former NCP MLA Chetan Tupe and BJP’s Yogesh Tilekar submitted a letter to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) suggesting that the amenity space around some of the Hindu societies in Kondhwa could be the perfect location to build a burial ground (Qabristan) for the Muslim community.

The letter claimed that the Kondhwa region in Pune has a large Muslim population and that it would be favorable for the community to have a burial ground nearby.

Several Hindu societies around the said amenity space (survey no. 44) have complained to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) objecting to the construction of a burial ground for the Muslim community. “The societies around the plot are Hindu societies and several thousand Hindu families reside in this location. Several Hindu temples are also located in the area and building a burial ground for the Muslim community here might cause religious harm to the residents,” the letter by Raviraj Colorado Co-op Housing Society read. The complaint dated 23rd October has been exclusively obtained by OpIndia upon which no action has been taken by the PMC yet.

Former Hadapsar @NCPspeaks MLA Chetan Tupe @ChetanVTupe n @BJP4Maharashtra leader Yogesh Tilekar @iYogeshTilekar recommended converting a Hindu-majority residential area's of #Kondhwa playground into a Muslim burial ground. Pune Municipal Corporation @PMCPune has spent 46 lakh… pic.twitter.com/AKS6vc0Ffa

— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) December 13, 2023

Similar complaint letters have been submitted by Achalnagar Sahakari Gruharachana Society Ltd and Shree Vardhaman Nagar Co-op Housing Society Ltd to the PMC highlighting that around 12000 to 15000 Hindu families reside in the locality and that it would be wrong to allow amenity space that was supposed to be a playground for a Muslim burial ground. The complaint letters obtained by OpIndia have been signed by all the society members who are Hindus.

Amenity space is a portion of a building that adds convenience for all occupants of a building and that is not used exclusively by any one occupant. In the current case, the amenity space is just a wall close to societies that have registered complaints and the space is authoritatively looked after by the PMC.

BJP’s Yogesh Tilekar says he was misinformed, now assures no Muslim burial ground will be made on the said land

However, it has come to the fore that Tilekar submitted the letter after the local Muslim community members sought his help regarding the land issue. The Muslim community representatives informed Tilekar that a maximum of the Muslim population resides around survey no. 44 amenity space and that it should be converted into a Muslim burial ground.

The letter of cancellation that Tilekar sent to the PMC on 23rd October 2023 clearly states that the survey no. 44 amenity space is located in a crowded area and most of the population that resides in the societies around the space is Hindu. “I first thought that the area housed a large Muslim population but I was misinformed. Most of the population residing in the locality is Hindu,” the letter reads.

Hindu society members say they are being threatened, some leaving their flats

One of the Raviraj Colorado society residents stated that several unknown persons are calling the society residents after the complaint to the PMC saying the Muslim burial ground will be built on survey no. 44 land come what may. “People are threatening us and saying that the inauguration of the burial ground will be executed in January next year. We all are scared and don’t want to see people getting buried there,” said Neelam Shah, one of the residents (name changed for security reasons).

The resident also added that some of the people living in the societies are leaving their properties and selling at a loss due to the increasing influence of the Muslim community. “The Muslim burial ground is making people leave their hard-earned homes. This is not done,” she adds.

Another resident Jyotsna Patil (name changed for security reasons) also confirmed that most of the population staying here in the Kondhwa region is Hindu. “The burial ground can result in severe health hazards. Not instantly but in the coming 4-5 years people will notice changes in the environment here and their health to be specific. This is hazardous. Also, this is a Hindu community crowded space. Religiously, it would be incorrect to have another community burial ground here. Strict action should be taken in this case,” Patil said.

The PMC is said to have taken action based on the letter submitted by BJP’s Yogesh Tilekar. However, Tilekar stated that he was misinformed about the location and that no he is ready to do anything to stop the ‘playground’ being converted into a Muslim burial ground. Reportedly, the Amenity Space Committee of Pune Municipal Corporation has taken no action on the cancellation request submitted by the BJP MLA. The decision shall be taken in the upcoming meeting of the body.

At present, the amenity space contains a jogging track and a few rest places. The remaining portion of the land stands vacant.

Kondhwa region in Pune has been the hub of Pune ISIS module

It is important to note that Pune’s Kondhwa region has been in the news for some time. In July this year, the National Investigation Agency arrested a doctor from the Kondhwa region for sheltering ISIS members. Also, three residents from the Mithanagar area of Kondhwa had been arrested by NIA for promoting terrorist activities at the behest of the global terrorist outfit Islamic State (IS).

Source : OpIndia