Pune: Hindu Mahasabha raises issue of illegal mosque as MNS chief demands unauthorised dargah demolitions

MNS president Raj Thackeray raised the issue of a dargah in Mahim and Kupwad in Sangli at a meeting yesterday. The unauthorised dargah at Mahim was demolished the next day. However, Anand Dave of the Hindu Mahasabha has asked Raj Thackeray why he did not raise the issue of the dargah in Shaniwar Wada.

Anand Dave has demanded that the dargah in the Shaniwar Wada area is also unauthorised, and a decision should be taken on that dargah as well.

Anand Dave said, "A board has been put up beside the dargah in Shaniwar Wada saying that there will be no mosque there. This land will be used commercially. Basically, this land is in the name of the trustee of the mosque. A large mosque also stands in Alka Chowk. We are creating public awareness with the aim that a mosque should not be built here when there is no Muslim settlement, and the municipal corporation should not allow it."

Raj Thackeray had said that the dargah did not exist in Mahim two years ago, so the dargah should be demolished. Raj Thackeray addressed a public meeting at the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena meeting on the day of Gudi Padwa. This time he warned the Shinde-Fadnavis government.

Thackeray had said he would build a Ganpati temple on that side if the illegal construction of the dargah was not removed within a month. He had demanded chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to take immediate action in the matter.