Masjid and madrassa demolished in Mumbai

India: A three decades old madrasa and a mosque were demolished by the Maharashtra’s Hindutva government in Mumbai in the name of road widening.

The operation against Gulshan Ahmed Raza Madrasa and Masjid Tahira located in Mumbai’s Ghat Kopar-Andheri street was carried out amid strict police arrangements. This is the second instance in the city of early morning action against religious structures.

The incident echoes a similar occurrence on December 28, when a shrine near Gandhi Maidan in Kurla (West) was demolished in the early hours, citing illegality.

Mansoor Sheikh, trustee of the masjid and madrasa near Sarode Hospital, stressed that the the masjid committee had obtained legalisation from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) during the Ghat Kopar-Andheri Link Road widening project.

The demolition has sparked outrage among the local Muslim community, questioning the legality of the action.