The Gujarat High Court, rejecting the four-week stay plea by the Mancha Masjid Trust, has upheld the partial demolition of a 400-year-old mosque in Ahmedabad to widen a road. The court ruled that the project serves 'public interest'. Hence, it is permissible.
In her ruling, Justice Mauna M Bhatt refused to stay the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's (AMC) order to vacate part of the premises in Saraspur.
The court underscored that the provisions of the Waqf Act do not apply in this case, since the Municipal Commissioner rendered the trust's plea "legally untenable", acting under special powers granted by the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations (GPMC) Act.
Trust's Advocate maintained that the mosque is of profound religious and cultural importance and a Waqf property that is protected, and demolishing part of it would violate constitutional promises of religious freedom.
On the other hand, the state government is in favour of the road-widening project. It called the scheme essential in removing traffic bottlenecks and for development along the stretch between Kalupur railway station and the Ahmedabad Metro Junction.
The Gujarat High Court's decision confirmed that legit process had been followed keeping in mind all the legalities by the AMC before coming to a conclusion, which the court finds warranted.
The decision came in the wake of recent, contentious demolitions in the state of Gujarat. A five-century-old mosque, a dargah, and a graveyard were demolished in Gir Somnath district in September 2024, which led to widespread outrage. The apex court did not, however, direct a status quo on that demolition campaign, agreeing with the Gujarat government's contention that the steps had been taken legally to clear encroachments on government land.
With the recent High Court ruling, tensions will be bound to escalate further, with yet another centuries-old religious complex facing partial demolition, fuelling the conflict between urban development plans and religious heritage preservation in the state.
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