Mumbai: Dharavi Residents Block Mosque Demolition, Seek 4-Day Reprieve (Photo Screengrab on X@HateDetectors)

Tensions prevailed in Mumbai’s Dharavi slum on Saturday morning when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) planned to demolish an alleged illegal portion of a mosque. Residents gathered on the road when a team of BMC officials from the G-North administrative ward arrived at 90 Feet Road in Dharavi around 9 am to demolish the section of the Masjid.

News agency PTI reported that the residents blocked the officials from entering the lane where the Majid is situated. Following the tension, police personnel were deployed in the area to prevent any unwanted incidents, according to a police official.

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However, by afternoon, a delegation from the Masjid held talks with officials of the BMC, following which the civic body decided to halt the demolition drive for five days, according to a report by The New Indian Express. 

As per the authorities, portions of the mosque were built on encroached land. The Masjid trustees appealed to the BMC to address the issue themselves by submitting a request to the Deputy Commissioner of Circle 2 and the Assistant Commissioner of G-North Division, assuring that they would voluntarily remove the illegal construction without the need for civil action, reported The Free Press Journal.

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The body has reportedly accepted the Masjid trustee’s request, giving them an extension to carry out the task. The Mehboob-E-Subhani Masjid, located along a busy stretch of Dharavi’s 90-foot road, had reportedly extended part of its construction beyond its legal limits, leading to the notice from the authorities.

The media house cited a local saying that the Majid was there for a long time and is an important part of the community, highlighting that the authorities need to find a more balanced solution rather than resorting to demolition.