TENSE DHARAVI STOPS MOSQUE DEMOLITION

Matter sorted out after mosque authorities agreed to demolish the illegal sections in the next few days

- Ruuha Hanuma

Tensions flared in Dharavi, one of Mumbai's largest slums, on Saturday morning after local residents gathered in thousands to thwart the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) planned demolition of an illegal section of a mosque.

The Mehboob-E-Subhani Masjid, located on 90 Feet Road, had been partially marked as an encroachment by the BMC, prompting civic authorities to issue an eviction notice for its removal. The tension was diffused after the mosque authorities agreed to demolish the illegal sections of the mosque in the next few days.

Police sources revealed that approximately five thousand people had gathered near the mosque in response to a letter circulated in the area before the demolition crew arrived. The BMC's team, arriving early at around 9am with the intent of pulling down the illegal structure, was met with strong opposition from residents who assembled on the road, physically obstructing civic officials and preventing them from entering the narrow lane leading to the mosque.