Junnar (District Pune), Maharashtra – Shivneri Fort, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, holds a place on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. It has been alleged that over the past few months, certain radical elements have constructed a dargah at the foothills of this fort under the name of Hazrat Shaheed Abdul Hameed (R.A.) alias Peer Pahadiwale Baba Dargah Sharif (Kusur-Junnar).
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has warned of agitation if authorities fail to act within 3 days over alleged construction of a dargah near the protected zone of #ShivneriFort,birthplace of Chhatrapati #ShivajiMaharaj.#Heritage protection rules must be enforced promptly & transparently pic.twitter.com/5mSofKSEzQ
— HJS_Delhi-NCR (@HJS_Delhi) September 8, 2026
Within the premises of a World Heritage site, no building or construction of any kind is permitted in the 100-metre buffer and protected zone surrounding the fort. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya expressed sharp opposition, alleging that the Archaeology Department, Forest Department, Tehsildar, and the police administration remained mere spectators while the construction work was underway.
Kirit Somaiya warned that if the administration fails to take action against this dargah within three days, all Shivbhakts will gather at the site and stage a sit-in agitation.
He recently visited Junnar and carried out an on-site inspection of the area. During the inspection, it emerged that new construction had indeed been raised directly adjoining the fort’s protected zone.
