Dhakta Shaikh Salla Dargah trustees agree to demolish unauthorised construction
Dhakta Shaikh Salla Dargah trustees issue a statement on Saturday announcing that the trust has offered to raze the additional construction without affecting the original structure
Pune: As the trustees of Dhakta Shaikh Salla Dargah located at Kasba Peth decided to demolish the alleged unauthorised construction on their own, a major controversy with a potential to turn into tension and a challenge for law and order was averted in the city ahead of upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The dargah trustees issued a statement on Saturday announcing that the trust has offered to raze the additional construction without affecting the original structure.
“After discussion with officials from the Pune Municipal Corporation and the police, we have agreed to remove the additional construction of new mosque at Dhakta Shaikh Salla Dargah as per the map,” a statement from the trust stated.
The 14th century shrine, which came to be known as Dhakta Shaikh Salla Dargah, along with Thorla Shaikh Salla Dargah, has been among the popular religious places in Pune over the centuries.
On February 22, PMC served a notice to the dargah trust about the alleged encroachment and asked the trustees to remove it, failing which the civic body would act. According to PMC officials, the civic body had even asked for police bandobast on March 8 for taking action. However, the police denied that the bandobast was for removing encroachment.
Late on Friday, celebrated as Mahashivratri across the city, a large number of police force had gathered at the dargah premises as a mob assembled with rumours of possible anti-encroachment action. Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar later clarified that no such action was planned on Friday.
“Rumours were deliberately spread that some action against alleged encroachment will be taken, but no such step was planned. We informed the people accordingly and they dispersed. The situation is also under control,” Kumar said on Friday night.
As the mob gathered in the vicinity of dargah, members of some right-wing organisations also planned to reach the spot, although the police intervention averted any untoward incident.
An officer from the PMC administration said, “It is good that the trustees took the positive step and issued the statement. It would have otherwise led to unnecessary controversy given that elections are also around.”
On Saturday, a meeting was called with the police and the PMC staff in which the dargah trustees also participated.
The dargah trustees Ghani Taayab Ali Shaikh, Asad Shaikh, Rafiq Sayyed, RG Sayyad and others in their statement said, “During the action, the original structure of dargah will not be touched while at the same time, old mosque approved as per 1927 gazette too will remain untouched.”
The trust has agreed to remove the illegal part, more than four years after the PMC first issued the stop work order on March 30, 2019. According to civic officials, any construction carried out after the stop work notice will need to be demolished.
The trust said that the civic administration will help the trust in redevelopment of the original structure through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.
