Mumbai: Tension erupted in Goregaon Aarey Colony of Mumbai when the shrine of Baba Syed Barkat Ali Pir, an ancient shrine located here, was demolished. Two months ago, Kret Soumya had declared the shrine illegal and demanded action, after which the administration demolished the shrine today. During this time, the police had made strict security arrangements so that the matter did not take a communal form. Therefore, the police had put up a tight guard and finally the shrine was demolished. After this, the situation here is certainly peaceful, but tension persists. Along with the shrine, the surrounding unsightly structures were also demolished. AIMIM leader Waris Pathan objected to this demolition and termed it wrong and said that the demolition action taken only targeted the shrine. Action has not been taken against the more than four hundred illegal houses and other structures around it. If the law is equal, they should also be demolished. Kret Soumya expressed happiness over this action and said that he had been continuously trying for two months. Today, the BMC, police and administration have taken action against this illegal land jihad and land mafia. Land jihad and land mafia were active here under the guise of the dargah. Kret Soumya expressed satisfaction over this action.

Local DCP Raj Gajanan Raj Mane said that illegal encroachments on forest land were removed. The police were on duty. There is no problem of law and order here. He said that the administration had also sent a notice to these illegal structures and after receiving no response, this action has been taken. At present, arrangements have been made. Peace is established, but tension also persists. The police have also started monitoring the situation. After the martyrdom of the dargah, there is anger and resentment among Muslims.

Mumbai, June 2: The debate over offering namaz on public roads has resurfaced in Maharashtra after senior BJP leader and former Member of Parliament Kirit Somaiya demanded a complete ban on the practice in Mumbai, triggering a fresh political confrontation with Samajwadi Party leaders.

In a letter dated June 2, addressed to Mumbai’s Municipal Commissioner and Police Commissioner, Somaiya described the offering of namaz on roads and public spaces as a “serious problem” that requires immediate intervention from civic and law enforcement authorities.

According to Somaiya, prayers are regularly conducted outside railway stations and on busy roads, particularly on Friday afternoons, resulting in traffic congestion and disruption to public movement. He alleged that the practice can cause traffic delays lasting up to an hour and adversely affects the daily routine of commuters and residents.

“No group has the right to disrupt public infrastructure on a working day in the name of religion,” Somaiya stated, urging the Mumbai Police, Traffic Police and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take responsibility and impose a strict ban on street prayers.

The BJP leader also referred to judicial rulings that restrict religious, cultural and political activities in public spaces such as playgrounds and gardens. He argued that permitting prayers on roads creates an undesirable precedent and undermines the principle of equal application of the law.

The demand, however, drew a sharp response from Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi, who accused Somaiya of adopting a selective approach towards the use of public spaces for religious activities.

“Muslims have never demanded a ban on religious events held on roads by other communities,” Azmi said. “Mosques are often overcrowded and the timing of namaz is fixed. Offering prayers is compulsory for Muslims, and some people are therefore compelled to pray on roads. The prayers usually do not take more than ten minutes.”

Azmi maintained that singling out namaz while permitting other religious functions on public roads would amount to discrimination. He argued that if authorities choose to prohibit one form of religious activity on roads, the same standard should be applied to all communities.

Meanwhile, in a separate development linked to Somaiya’s complaints regarding alleged encroachments, an unauthorised dargah known as Hazrat Sayyad Pir Baba in Aarey Milk Colony, Goregaon, was demolished on Tuesday.

The action followed a complaint filed by Somaiya, who had earlier alleged that illegal structures were being erected within Aarey Colony and the adjoining Sanjay Gandhi National Park under the guise of a religious institution.

Mumbai: Sakinaka Police have uncovered a drug factory in which MDs were being manufactured. The main accused in the case, Wajah Al-Qamar Chaudhary (54), has been arrested. Accused Muskan Sameer, 26, was arrested in Andheri area on May 21 with 101 grams of MD. She was also a self-styled Ola driver. Her accused was Wajah Al-Qamar and she used to meet him in the club. In this case, the police investigated and exposed the MD factory. Wajah Al-Qamar Abolfaz Chaudhary alias Papa used to run an MD factory here and both used to sell drugs in suburban areas including Mumbai. Wajah Al-Qamar Chaudhary used to make MD in a rented house in Narmada, Gujarat. This information was given here today by DCP Datta Nalawade. He said that the police have unmasked a big network and seized drugs worth more than Rs 75 lakh including the equipment for making MD. This is also a big success. He said that in this case, the investigation is also underway to find out who had provided the house for rent and how many people the accused were in contact with. In the initial investigation, it has been found that the drug trafficking of the accused is a racket. The accused here in Mumbai is named Ola. She used to run a drug racket, but her main work was drug smuggling, while Wajah Al-Qamar Chaudhary also has a case of drug trafficking registered in the DRI. In 2001, 232 grams of drugs were found in her possession in Palghar. In 2001, he was imprisoned in Moradabad Jail and was imprisoned for 11 years. He was also in the police station jail from 2017 to 2023. He used to operate a drug network and Muskan was his partner in this work. After arresting Muskan from Andheri, the police have exposed this drug racket. The police are investigating the matter further. There is a possibility of more arrests.