MAHADA ignores local opposition, MP’s intervention and cites ‘pressure from above’ for the controversial action
MUMBAI — In a move that has shocked the local Muslim community, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MAHADA) on Tuesday began demolishing 13 shops owned by the city’s Noor Elahi Mosque on Mankhurd Link Road, despite the structures standing for over two decades.
The operation, which started early in the morning, was carried out under heavy police deployment and continued late into the evening. MAHADA officials indicated the demolition will continue to clear the remaining beams and rubble.
The mosque trustees and local residents expressed deep anger and disbelief, particularly as the demolition went ahead despite direct intervention from local MP Sanjay Dina Patil. According to the trustees, the MAHADA CEO told the MP he was acting under “pressure from above”.
Speaking to Clarion India, mosque treasurer Fayyaz Ahmed Shah said: “This matter had been going on for some time but we did not expect that such a large-scale action would be taken. We kept running around to save the property of the mosque but unfortunately the matter reached the point of demolition. We are all still trying on our part.”
He explained that the mosque and madrasa have stood for decades, while the 13 shops have been in place for 23 years. “MAHADA cleverly divided the mosque and its property into two parts, saying that the structure of the mosque will not be damaged but the shops are illegal. They claim it is MAHADA land and must be vacated,” he said.
Fayyaz added that an earlier attempt to resolve the matter through the local MP failed after MAHADA’s top official cited political pressure. “The question arises: whose pressure is this from above? Is it through pressure that action is taken against places of worship or their property? And what is the role of MAHADA officers? The police and MAHADA should explain who is putting pressure,” he demanded.
Trust members allege that political figures, including BJP leaders Nitish Rane and Kirit Somaiya, played a major role in pushing for the demolition of the mosque’s shops, claiming the entire stretch should be cleared. The trustees believe the real motive is linked to the area’s high land value.
“This land is right by the roadside and has become very expensive. Some people want it for themselves and they are using MAHADA to make that happen,” a trustee said, accusing unnamed individuals of exploiting legal loopholes to dislodge Muslim property.
According to a notice issued by MAHADA on 27 June, the land has been “occupied for commercial purposes of the mosque without MAHADA’s permission or an NOC from the BMC”. The document also alleges that 15 shops and other constructions in the mosque premises were built illegally and must be removed.
The notice gave the trustees seven days to vacate, warning that failure to comply would result in demolition under Sections 53 and 55 of the Maharashtra Provincial Planning and Building Regulations, 1966, with the costs recovered from the mosque trust.
The trustees contest these claims, saying that the shops have long been part of the mosque’s property and served as a source of income for the upkeep of the mosque and madrasa.
As the demolition squad tore down the roofs, cut iron beams with gas cutters, and began clearing the land, locals gathered to watch in silence. Many expressed fears that the action was part of a wider pattern of targeting Muslim-owned property in the city.
“First, they divide the property, then they call it illegal, then they say there is pressure from above. This is how you weaken a community,” said a local shopkeeper who asked not to be named.
The Noor Elahi Mosque trustees say they will keep fighting to save what is left of their property. The community is now demanding answers from MAHADA, the police, and political leaders about who is behind the “pressure from above” that led to the destruction of 23 years of history in just a few hours.
