Protests Erupt in Dharavi Over Mosque Demolition, BMC Grants Temporary Relief

Protests in Dharavi over mosque demolition led to discussions between community leaders and BMC officials

Protests broke out in Mumbai’s Dharavi area after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) sent a team to demolish parts of the Mehboob-e-Subani mosque. The mosque is located in one of the city’s most crowded areas, and the BMC claimed that there were illegal encroachments around the building. However, local residents, especially from the Muslim community, opposed the demolition. They argued that the mosque had been there for 25 years.

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When the BMC team arrived, locals blocked the road, which caused major traffic problems in the area. The situation quickly escalated as some protestors threw stones and damaged a BMC vehicle. Tensions in the area were high as people stood against the civic body’s actions.

In response to the unrest, a meeting was held between the trustees of the mosque, BMC officials, and local police at the Dharavi Police Station. During the meeting, the mosque trustees asked the BMC for more time to handle the situation. As a result, the BMC agreed to give them four to five days to remove the encroachments around the mosque.

The BMC issued a statement saying that they had accepted the trustees’ request and would hold off on the demolition for the time being. The trustees assured BMC officials, including the Deputy Commissioner and the Assistant Commissioner, that they would take care of the issue within the given time frame.

Before this, Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad had also stepped in to try to prevent the demolition. In a social media post, she shared that she had met with Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to discuss the community’s concerns. Gaikwad, along with MLA Amin Patel, conveyed the people’s sentiments to the CM, who reportedly promised to speak to the concerned authorities. Gaikwad mentioned that the CM assured her the demolition drive could be stopped.

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