Mumbai: The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd (CIDCO) demolished the illegal dargah near the Navi Mumbai International Airport after assuring action against the structure in October. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, which was one of the first organisations to demand action, has now shifted its focus on the illegal encroachments on the forts of Maharashtra.
On October 25, CIDCO had exclusively told The Free Press Journal that it would demolish all the illegal structures near the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport after the Vidhan Sabha elections. However, the authority razed down the illegal structure on the next day of polling.
The issue had come to light after Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, a right-wing Hindu organisation, had written to CIDCO in March 2023 demanding demolition of a dargah on CIDCO’s land near the airport.
The organisation had alleged that the encroachment started by painting a few stones with green colour and had expanded into a one-acre property with a compound, fountain, dome, water tanks, outhouse, guesthouse and a parking lot.
However, after over a year of inaction, the organisation again wrote to the authority and held a meeting with CIDCO’s Chief Vigilance Officer and Navi Mumbai Police. It claimed that the illegal structure posed serious security threat as it was located adjacent to the airport. Hindu IT Cell, another right-wing Hindu organisation, had also filed a grievance with the Ministry of Home Affairs demanding demolition.
On Thursday, CIDCO demolished the dargah and other unauthorized constructions illegally erected on its land. HJS claimed that their continuous struggle against the illegal structure met success and congratulated the government for taking action.
Post demolition of the illegal dargah, the organisation has now shifted its focus on encroachments on 35 forts in Maharashtra. It has announced that it will work on getting encroachments removed from Vishalgad, Kulaba, Lohagad, Vandanagad, Shivdi and other forts.
“By removing the said unauthorized construction, the security of the Navi Mumbai International Airport area has been ensured, and similarly, by removing unauthorized constructions on the forts of the state, the sanctity and culture there should be preserved,” said Sunil Ghanvat, state coordinator of HJS.
Official sources who had earlier assured The Free Press Journal that the illegal structures will be demolished, confirmed the demolition of dargah on Thursday.
Yogesh Chile, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader from Panvel, said, "I had raised the issue of dargah around two years back with CIDCO. The person identified as Gafoor was running the dargah, had approached the court but couldn't prove his ownership of the land and he lost the case recently. We suspected that there were boys who used the place to consume drugs at night. We were assured by CIDCO that the place would be demolished after elections so that it doesn't take a religious colour. On Wednesday night CIDCO with the help of police, demolished the dargah."
