The Dulhe municipal corporation bulldozed an illegal memorial of Tipu Sultan built in a square in Dhule, Maharastra, after local Hindus raised a complaint against it on June 8. The All India Majlis e Ittihadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLA, Dr Farooq Anwar Shah, constructed this Tipu Sultan memorial in the middle of the 100-feet wide Vadjai road to appease the Muslims who predominate in the neighbourhood around Vadjai Road area.
The permission for the construction of the monument was not granted in accordance with the rules and regulations. In this regard, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha’s unit in Dhule wrote a letter to Devendra Fadnavis, the state’s deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister, and tweeted about the same tagging Girish Mahajan, the Rural Development Minister. Additionally, BJYM’s Dhule unit also delivered copies of the letter to the Dhule municipal corporation commissioner and the neighbourhood SP to take legal action against the AIMIM MLA.
The letter is written by Advocate Rohit Chandode of the BJYM, stating, “In Dhule city, a 100-feet road has been constructed by the municipal corporation starting from D-Mart to the bypass highway. There is a lot of traffic on this road. Also, both sides of the road are home to most Muslims”. He further wrote, “Dhule city MLA Dr Farooq Shah has played with the sentiments of Hindus and misused his official position by constructing a memorial of the anti-Hindu tyrant Tipu Sultan without any government permission at the intersection square between 100-feet Road and Vadjai Road in the Muslim area of Dhule city”.
The letter asked the municipal administration to take strict action against the illegal structure. It states, “I request the municipal administration to take action to demolish the construction of this illegal monument so that the peace of the city remains intact. The concerned should be directed to take action to register a case against Farooq Shah under the City Defacement Act”.
After the protest by BJP corporators Sunil Baisane, Pradeep Panpatil, and local Hindus, the local administration and Mayor Pratibha Chaudhary took cognisance of the matter and ordered the removal of the illegal structure.
Superintendent of Police Sanjay Barkund informed that the contractor who built the illegal Tipu Sultan Memorial demolished it on June 8 late at night. No incidence of violence, protests, or law and order was reported during and after the demonstration.
Notably, on the night of June 6, unknown antisocial elements desecrated the idol of Bhagwan Ram in the temple located in the Moghalai neighbourhood of Dhule City. The police have detained three suspects. There have been cases of breaking electric lamps, defilement, and drinking while sitting outside the temple. Last year, antisocial elements stole the silver eyes of an idol from another temple in the area.
In light of these recent incidences in the district, District Officer Trupti Dhodmise has issued a preventive injunction order till June 12, which will work within Dhule Municipal Corporation limits to prevent law and order problems. Even Collector Jalaj Sharma and Superintendent of Police Sanjay Barkund have appealed to the public to maintain peace.
In the districts of Sambhaji Nagar and Kolapur, Tclashes erupted on June 7 after Hindu organisations called for a peaceful protest march following posts on social media praising tyrant Tipu Sultana and Aurangzeb. Amid the 350th coronation ceremony of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, some fundametalist elements posted updates praising the invaders who plundered Bharat.
Following the protests several shops were vandalized in the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation, Ganji Galli, Mahadwar Road, Akbar Mohalla, and Shivaji Road adjacent to Shivaji Chowk area in the city of Kolhapur.
It is pertinent to mention that, as many as seven people had posted the objectionable WhatsApp status on the occasion of the 350th coronation day of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. As per the reports, two of them are native to Kolhapur while the others were from the nearby small towns. The police have booked a case against the person who first uploaded the status.
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