Dharavi: Tension Grips As locals In Mumbai Halt BMC's Move To Raze 'Illegal' Portion Of Mosque
Dharavi Mosque: Tensions escalated in Mumbai's Dharavi slum on Saturday when locals protested against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) plan to demolish part of a mosque. An official said this has led hundreds of people to gather on the streets.
A BMC team from the G-North administrative ward tried to demolish part of the Mehboob-E-Subhani mosque on 90 Feet Road around 9 am.
A big group of residents blocked the entrance to the lane in which the mosque is located. There, according to him, a lot of police officers have been stationed for fear of some objectionable incidents flaring up in the light of the current situation.
Huge Crowd Gathered Outside Dharavi Police Station
"A team of BMC officials from the G-North ward arrived at 90 Feet Road in Dharavi around 9 am to demolish part of the Mehboob-E-Subhani mosque that they claimed was illegal. Soon, many local residents gathered and blocked the officials from entering the lane where the mosque is located," said the police official. "Later, hundreds of people gathered outside the Dharavi police station and sat on the road to protest against the civic body's action," he added.
Hundreds of people protested outside Dharavi police station, sitting on the road. Heavy deployment was done in terms of the police force to avoid any unfortunate incidents. The situation is under control. Discussions are being held with a delegation from the mosque, BMC officers, and the police of Dharavi to find out the solution to the issue. Dharavi has the acknowledgment of being Asia's largest slum and is very crowded.