‘Illegal’ religious structure razed in Mahim coastal area

During his speech at the party’s Gudi Padwa rally, Thackeray played a video showing a religious structure that came up in the sea off Mahim Dargah and demanded that the authorities should take action.

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday demolished a dargah in Mahim coastal area after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray claimed that it was being built on the encroached land.

On Thursday morning, the BMC’s G North ward staff and the collectorate staff went to Mahim and demolished the makeshift structure in the sea. (Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

During his speech at the party’s Gudi Padwa rally, Thackeray played a video showing a religious structure that came up in the sea off Mahim Dargah and demanded that the authorities should take action.

Soon after the speech, police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar asked joint commissioner (law and order) Satyanarayan and additional commissioner (central region) Anil Kumbhare to submit a report. On Thursday morning, the BMC’s G North ward staff and the collectorate staff went to Mahim and demolished the makeshift structure in the sea.

Sohail Khandwani, the trustee of Mahim Dargah, said that this structure was managed by Hazat Hidar Hayatun Nabi Trust. It was one of the places where Makhdoom Shah used to go for giving “divine learnings.’’

While Mumbai city district collector Rajiv Nivatkar said, “There was a structure in the sea which was illegal and our squad with the help from BMC and police removed it.’’

AIMIM MP Imtiyaz Jaleel said that since the BJP is in power, they can’t do much, hence they have given the task to MNS. Sources in the government said that the police wanted the removal of the structure after Ramzan, but the political leadership wanted immediate removal.

MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar said, “Why did the administration not take action earlier? When Rajsaheb realised this structure, he exposed this. But I thank the administration for immediate cognisance.’’

In Sangli, a similar incident happened against an alleged illegal religious structure which was coming on a plot meant for a school.