Maharashtra State Government Sets Up Committee to Assess Impact of Violence at Vishalgad
Mumbai, 24th July 2024: The Maharashtra State Government’s Ministry of Minority Affairs and Waqf has established a four-member committee to investigate the recent damage to waqf institutions in Vishalgad and Gajapur. The committee, composed of the Commissioner of Minorities in Aurangabad, the CEO of the Maharashtra State Waqf Board, the District Planning Officer and Minorities Officer of Kolhapur, and the District Waqf Officer of Kolhapur, will visit Hazrat Peer Malik Rehan Dargah and Raza Mosque on Friday.
The committee has been tasked with assessing the extent of damage to these waqf institutions and the surrounding properties belonging to Muslim minorities. They are also expected to evaluate the impact of recent violence in the area, including property damage and financial losses.
Deputy Secretary of the Minority Development Department, Milind Shenoy, communicated in a letter to the Kolhapur Superintendent of Police and District Collector that the Minister of Minority Affairs had convened a meeting to address issues related to Vishalgad and the surrounding area on July 19. In response, the committee was formed to investigate and report on the situation at the Hazrat Peer Malik Rehan Dargah and Raza Mosque.
Shenoy indicated that the committee would review issues related to fixed and removed encroachments at Vishalgad Fort and examine the law and order situation in Gajapur, which experienced significant violence. The committee will also assess damage to both the Vishalgad Fort Dargah and the Raza Mosque, as well as review financial impacts and incidents of violence.
The violence, which occurred on July 14, involved alleged right-wing groups from Pune, Sangli, and Satara districts. Former Member of Parliament Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje Bhosale had called for the removal of encroachments at Vishalgad Fort on the same day. Before Bhosale’s arrival, tensions escalated with stone-pelting attacks on police and shopkeepers. In Gajapur, mobs targeted homes, shops, vehicles, and the local Raza Mosque.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has reaffirmed that the anti-encroachment drive at Vishalgad Fort will proceed. To date, the district administration has demolished 80 encroachments.
In response to ongoing concerns, the Bombay High Court has instructed the Maharashtra government and police to halt any further demolitions around Vishalgad Fort during the monsoon season. The court has also directed the Shahuwadi police inspector to appear and explain the actions taken against those involved in the violence. The next hearing on the Vishalgad violence case is scheduled for July 29.
