The decision comes amid simmering tensions over earlier demolitions of historic Muslim religious sites in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district
AHMEDABAD – The Gujarat High Court has refused to stay a plan to partially demolish the 400-year-old Mancha Masjid in the Saraspur area of Ahmedabad in Gujarat for a road widening project.
A division bench of Justices AS Supehia and LS Pirzada noted on Friday that the mosque was not being completely demolished.
The directive came after the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) demanded the masjid committee to vacate a portion of the premises for a development project. Following the notice, the Mutawalli (custodian) of the mosque filed a petition seeking relief. On September 23, a single-bench judge refused intervention and allowed the directive, media reports said.
The mosque’s trust asserted that the mosque is a Waqf property and claimed that the verdict violated the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations (GPMC) Act. The trust also highlighted that the mosque holds historical value and its demolition will not only violate the rights guaranteed by the Constitution but also damage the religious significance of the long-standing mosque.
The decision comes amid simmering tensions over earlier demolitions of historic Muslim religious sites in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district.
The court also clarified that Waqf Act provisions do not apply in this case, as the Municipal Commissioner acted under special powers granted by the GPMC Act, rendering the plea legally ‘untenable’.
The mosque which holds profound religious and cultural significance was formally registered as the Mansa Masjid trust in the year 1950 following Bombay Public Trusts Act.
Over centuries, the masjid has been reconstructed and renovated multiple times, preserving its historic and spiritual value.
