The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday, June 2, demolished the decades-old Barkat Ali Shah Baba Dargah amid tight security and heavy deployment of police personnel. Previously, the dargah, which was once demolished in 2017 but reconstructed later in the subsequent year. The Dargah was just 400 metres away from the Aarey police station.
Significantly, this action by the BMC authorities, as reported by India Today, followed two months after BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya visited the place and urged the authorities to demolish the structure that was allegedly constructed on the land of the Maharashtra government’s dairy development project. Somaiya is a key leader who stokes strong communal passions in Mumbai. Soon after the demolition, the veteran BJP leader wrote on X, “Land JIHAD… illegal DARGAH of Aarey Colony Mumbai Demolished today. I had visited & filed a complaint on April 9, 2026.”
AAREY Land JIHAD
70,000 square feet Forest Land was grabbed in the name of Dargah.
After consistent efforts of 12 months 6 visits & 12 meetings with Minister, Officials & 1 FIR yesterday DEMOLITION.
Now this land is to be handed over to Forest Dept, Sanjay Gandhi National… pic.twitter.com/RA8NddmIxe
— Kirit Somaiya (@KiritSomaiya) June 3, 2026
Land Jihad
Land Grabbing in the name of DARGAHAarey Colony Reserved Forest Land by
Mahmud Yasin
Anwar Pinjari
Imran Mansuri
Vasim Mansuri & othersI had visited the site half a dozen times in last 12 months. Exposed the Land JIHAD & Filed complaints with Aarey Colony,… pic.twitter.com/CRxgq2UCvx
— Kirit Somaiya (@KiritSomaiya) June 2, 2026
Early on Tuesday morning, an army of bulldozers and cranes arrived on the land to start the demolition drive. The area was cordoned off by a heavy deployment of police forces to prevent any unpleasant situation from arising. Keeping the stone-pelting incident of Bandra Garib Nagar in mind, where the people allegedly threw stones at the officials when a demolition driver headed to raze down a religious structure, the people started throwing stones. Personnel from both Mumbai Police and riot-control forces were present at the spot.
Last week, the BMC also demolished a temple that was illegally constructed in Mumbai’s Dindoshi area.
Related:
Why was a 200-year-old mosque in Varanasi demolished in the middle of the night?
Demolitions of homes of Gujjar Bakerwals in Jammu unconstitutional & violation of FRA 2006: AIUFWP