On July 14, a Sunday, disturbing visuals of a Mosque being demolished emerged from Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district. A video from the ground showed a group of men belonging to an extremist Hindutva mob climbing atop a Mosque holding saffron flags and vandalising a Mosque with hammers. The video showed mobs of people standing upon the Mosque and planting a saffron flag on it. As per multiple reports, the said violent mob was led by Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, former Rajya Sabha MP and descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who had marched to the fort with thousands of supporters who unleashed the violence against the religious structure.
It is to be noted that since the past few months, a campaign is being run by the certain Hindu right-wing outfits to “free” the historic Vishalgad fort of “encroachment”. A brief on the importance of the said fort in Maratha history is that the same fort was used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to escape after being besieged at Panhala Fort in 1660. In 1844, Vishalgad was ruled by the Kolhapur State when a rebellion was led against a Brahmin regent who had been installed by the British when the natural heir to the throne was underage.
The said video can be viewed here:
In Maharashtra’s Kolhapur, mobs on Sunday climbed on the top of a mosque, planted a saffron flag and started destroying it when a rally against the illegal encroachment turned violent. pic.twitter.com/i8HkwYfoVg
— Waquar Hasan (@WaqarHasan1231) July 15, 2024
As per multiple reports, the attack against the Muslim structures by the extremist group did not limit itself to the Mosque as houses and shops belonging to Muslim community were also destroyed.
Approximately 50-60 houses and shops belonging to Muslims were attacked, torched, and looted in Gajapur village, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, according to local residents. Fleeing for safety, residents sought refuge in nearby jungles as mobs numbering in thousands wreaked havoc. pic.twitter.com/Z3zFoLZunn
— The Observer Post (@TheObserverPost) July 16, 2024
Details of the incident:
Calling it ‘Vishalgad Anti-Encroachment Movement,’ Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati and his supporters in Kolhapur have been mounting pressure on authorities to remove illegal encroachments at the Vishalgad fort for the past year.
The clashes erupted after former Rajya Sabha MP Sambhaji Raje called upon his supporters to march to the Vishalgarh fort in a bid to protest against the inaction of the authorities over illegal encroachments. The fort is located in Shahuwadi of Kolhapur district, about 75 kms from Kolhapur city.
As per the report in Maktoob Media, ahead of Sambhajiraje’s arrival at the fort around 9:40 am, a mob of his supporters had already started with stone-pelting on the mosque, Rehman Malik Dargah, and attacking local Muslim residents in the vicinity. Some vandals also allegedly chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ outside the mosque and raised objectionable slogans. It is essential to note that the said Mosque was on the way to Vishalgad fort, but was 6 km away from the fort.
The Maktoob Media report also alleged that the attack against Muslims occurred in police presence. As per the videos accessed by Maktoob Media, a few police personnel were deployed to guard the place to stop the Hindutva mob but were unable to do anything. After the attack on the Mosque, some of the residents then reportedly retaliated, following which the situation went out of control. The police then cordoned off the fort and barred entry, following which the mob allegedly attacked shops and homes in the Gajapur village by the foothills of the fort. Several homes in Gajapur were allegedly set on fire while several other homes and shops were vandalised and looted. As per Scroll, around 50-60 houses and shops belonging to members of Muslim community were attacked, looted and torched by the mob as it ran amok at Gajapur village in Kolhapur district. As told by the locals to media, several vehicles were also damaged. Locals further alleged that no cops were present there. As per the report in Maktoob Media, at least 40 Muslims, including children, were attacked in the incident.
Locals targeted, attacked, forced to flee fearing for violence:
Last year, in 2023, the district administration had carried out a survey of the Vishalgarh fort and claimed that they found 160 buildings, including a mosque, houses, and shops, to have been constructed illegally.
Statement of the locals who suffered the violent attack was provided in a report of Clarion India. As per the report, Imran Mujawar, a resident of Gajapur whose house was also attacked, stated that the residents fled their homes towards the nearby jungle to protect their lives when the mob reached the area. Mujawar is also a khadim at the Vishalgad dargah.
“People armed with weapons barged into houses. The residents fled their homes toward the jungle nearby to protect themselves. Homes were looted and their jewelleries were also stolen. Around 50-60 houses were destroyed,” said Mujawar.
Providing an estimate of the losses suffered by the Muslim whose properties and shops were destroyed, Mujawar stated that he lost properties worth 9-10 lakh while some people incurred the loss of 15-20 lakhs. Mujawar also provided how their vehicles were also destroyed. He stated, the mobs were armed with weapons such as swords and knifes and their target were Muslim people only.
The helplessness of the locals was also conveyed by Mujawar, who stated that the mob even threw or destroyed the edible items. As per Mujawar, the situation post the violent incident was so dire that people are not even left with ration to cook anything.
“We can’t now estimate the losses. There might be a loss of crores. Dozens of vehicles were destroyed. Some houses were set on fire by exploding gas cylinder. It was the house in which a woman was living along with her children while his husband was working somewhere. The woman fled her home along with children,” said Mujawar.
According to Mujawar, there were four to five thousand people in the mob and the attacks occurred even in the presence of the police force. Several people got injured in the attacks. Some of them had fractures and were admitted to a local hospital, as per a Clarion India report.
“In Gajapur, all the residents are Muslims. Their homes and properties were targeted. There are homes of Hindus ahead of Gajapur. They were not touched. Only Muslims were targeted,” asserted Mujawar.
Mujawar also alleged that the said targeted attack against the Muslim community took place Maharashtra assembly elections are approaching. “They want to win elections by creating riots,” he said, as per Clarion India.
As per a statement of the police, police personnel were also injured during the incident. A report of The Quint provided that several local journalists reporting on the incident had alleged that they were threatened by people who were a part of the mob with knives and sticks to stop them from reporting on the incident. Furthermore, the journalists claimed that their equipment, mobile phones, and boom mic were snatched by miscreants while brandishing swords and knives. Some also claimed that their vehicles were chased in order to scare them into not coming to the area. Notably, Kolhapur Press Club president Sheetal Dhanwade, addressing journalists on July 15, had said that an undertaking will be given to the police and the authorities in this regard.
Action taken by authorities:
As per media reports, following the violence, vandalism and arson, there is a deployment of police force in the village and prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been imposed in the area. The police are registering FIRs over the incidents. As per media reports, the Kolhapur police on Monday lodged four FIRs against over 500 persons including former Rajya Sabha member Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje. Till now, a total of 21 people had been arrested by the Kolhapur police.
It is also essential to point here that Sambhaji Raje called off his protest after an assurance by CM Eknath Shinde that action will be taken against illegal encroachments in the fort. It has also been reported that following the violent incident, about 35 illegal shops were razed by authorities on Monday on the orders of CM Shinde who arrived in Kolhapur on Sunday night.
Some politicians condemn, some under scanner point fingers at authorities:
Sambhaji Raje, who is deemed to be the cause of the unrest, blamed the local authorities and the police for not taking enough measures despite anticipating that the situation may get out of hand. He also showed up at the local police station to urge officials to book him instead of ‘Shivaji bhakts’.
“Several Shiv Bhakts have been booked. Rather than harassing them, the police should book me. I kept asking them if I have been booked but they refused to answer,” Sambhaji Raje said, as per media reports. Furthermore, Sambhaji Raje claimed that there was no communal agenda behind his movement but some people with vested interests are trying to portray it so.
काल विशाळगड येथे झालेल्या प्रकरणानंतर पोलिसांनी शिवभक्तांची धरपकड सुरू केलेली आहे. काही शिवभक्तांवर गुन्हे नोंद करण्यात आलेले आहेत. प्रशासन स्वतःच्या चुकीवर पडदा टाकण्यासाठी व स्वतःचा बेजबाबदारपणा लपविण्यासाठी जाणीवपूर्वक शिवभक्तांना लक्ष्य करत आहे. मी सर्व शिवभक्तांच्या पाठीशी…
— Sambhaji Chhatrapati (@YuvrajSambhaji) July 15, 2024
“One of the first encroachments to be destroyed belongs to a Prakash Patil. Some of the first action was faced by Hindu families. Some people are trying to do Hindu-Muslim over this, they must not. I do not support what happened in Gajapur. The incident must be probed and the police must take appropriate action. If somebody is firing shots with the gun on my shoulder, I will look into it. But my intention was only to protest against encroachment,” he said, as per The Quint.
Meanwhile, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi MP attacked the Mahayuti Government in Maharashtra and asked them to take action against the culprits. Owaisi slammed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) by describing the incident as a repeat of Babri Masjid demolition. In his post on social media, Owaisi shared the video on his official account and said, “6 December continues @mieknathshinde @Dev_Fadnavis under your government a Masjid is attacked by a Mob, this is an attack on Rule of Law but your government is not concerned.”
He further said, “Muslims of Maharashtra must reply through Ballot by ensuring your party MIM candidates win the forthcoming elections to stop the Mobs and the political leaders & parties who give them patronage and support and remember the Silence of parties who are claiming they won ‘Moral victory’.”
The post can be viewed here:
“6 December continues “@mieknathshinde @Dev_Fadnavis under your government a Masjid is attacked by a Mob,this is an attack on Rule of Law but your government is not concerned.
Muslims of Maharashtra must reply through Ballot by ensuring your party MIM candidates win the… https://t.co/085RnK2y7u— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) July 15, 2024
After the statement made by Sambhaji Raje was released, many of the opposition leaders spoke out against the incident and demanded immediate action against him. A meeting was also held by Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar (NCPSP) chief Sharad Pawar, Kolhapur MP Shahu Maharaj, NCPSP district president VB Patil, and district Congress president and MLA Satej Patil over the unrest.
Kolhapur Lok Sabha MP and Sambhaji Raje’s father Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj condemned the violence while blaming the administration for failing to handle it.
“We condemn the violence committed on the occasion of removing the encroachment on Vishalgad Fort after Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje’s call. It is extremely painful and distressing to witness such an incident in Kolhapur district, which holds the legacy of Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj deeply,” Shahu Maharaj said, as per The Quint.
Satej Patil stated that “Somebody like Sambhaji Raje should have been careful while blaming the authorities for the unrest.”
As per a report of the Deccan Herald, Kolhapur Guardian Minister Hasan Mushrif stated that “Such an incident is a blot in the kingdom of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj. The issue of encroachments on Vishalgad is sub-judice. So, it is for Sambhaji Raje to answer whether his stance on the issue is appropriate.”
Several Muslim bodies led by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind also submitted a letter to the Kolhapur authorities to take strict action against those accused and demanded that Sambhaji Raje must be arrested.
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