The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal have threatened public protests if government authorities do not demolish an illegal mosque built in MIDC, Andheri (East).
On January 30, after complaints from Bajrang Dal, the K (East) ward of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wrote the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), asking the agency to take 'appropriate' action in the matter.
The BMC said that its inspection of the mosque built in Upadhyay Nagar near the MIDC Metro station has shown that the structure is located on land identified as a slum by the SRA. The land belongs to the Mumbai Suburban District Collector and the BMC has said that the mosque building is illegal. FPJ has a copy of the letter from the BMC to the SRA.Gautam Ravaria of the Bajrang Dal said the building came up around four years ago.
"The structure began as a single room. Later, three or four more rooms were purchased and a floor was added. A mobile phone tower (Cellular Base Station) has been built on the structure. There are no documents that indicate that it is a mosque," said Ravaria who added that they had complained to the authorities because a few families living in the mosque's neighborhood had to leave because of alleged harassment by the occupants of the new structure.
"We had complained earlier when the structure had only one floor, but no punitive action was taken. If government authorities do not demolish the illegal structure we will hold protests in the area."
The BMC has asked the SRA, which is part of the District Collector's office, to report back to them after punitive action against the owners of the illegal structure.
