Maharashtra CM orders removal of illegal encroachment from Vishalgadh fort, 35 shops demolished so far

The Kolhapur district administration on the 15th of July evening began removing illegal encroachments from Vishalgadh Fort in Kolhapur, amidst heavy police presence. According to officials, by the evening, the administration had demolished around 35 stores.

The administration responded to protests organized by Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, a former Rajya Sabha MP and descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The enraged protesters reached the foothills of the fort on Sunday, 14th July, and happened to create a ruckus in the Gajapur area.

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Following the protest organized by Sambhajiraje, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde arrived in Kolhapur after midnight on Sunday. He presumably asked the Kolhapur district administration to clear encroachments from the fort, which is around 70 kilometers from Kolhapur. The fort is located in the Shahuwadi taluka of the district.

“The administration has started removing encroachments from Vishalgad. However, attempts are being made to give it a communal color. The first few encroachments which have been removed belong to Hindu community members,” Sambhajiraje clarified while talking to the reporters in Kolhapur.

Sambhajiraje stated that if a case is made against him, he should be arrested. Notably, the police have filed four cases against more than 500 people, including political leaders, and arrested 21 people involved in the ruckus that happened on 14th July in Gajapur. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister visited Kolhapur after midnight on Sunday to assess the situation following the violent happenings in the district. He eventually ordered the removal of illegal encroachment on the fort.

Mahendra Pandit, Superintendent of Police in Kolhapur, stated that the situation was under control and that action was being taken against those involved in the violence. Sambhajiraje, who led the march on Sunday, requested that all encroachments be removed, regardless of the caste or religion of unlawful inhabitants.

Team OpIndia had been to Vishalgadh recently to check the ground reality. It was observed that massive alleged illegal construction and encroachment has been happening for years on the fort causing ‘insult’ to around 24 Hindu temples and structures originally located on the fort since the 17th century.

It is believed that the population located on the fort of Vishalgadh, most of which is Muslim, has been involved in carrying out alleged illegal encroachments, construction, or expansion of the Masjid. The population there has also for years constructed illegal sheds, further expanding the businesses of chicken and cattle slaughters.

The Hindu protestors on the 7th of July this year conducted the first massive protest in heavy rains on the lower ground of the fort and demanded the removal of the illegal structure and ban on the animal slaughter on the fort.

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As per the documents exclusively obtained by OpIndia, there are a total of 156 properties that have undertaken illegal expansion of the homes and shops by building iron sheet sheds. Many of the houses on the other hand are illegally built only using iron sheet sheds. Among these 156, around 100 plus properties belong to the Muslim community people who are said to have illegally encroached on the area around the old Dargah and the firm extended Masjid covered by iron sheets.

However, Mahesh Vibhute of the Sakal Hindu Samaj confirmed to OpIndia that the issue is not at all communal. “These people, from both the community illegally expanded their premises by building sheds. Today there are thousands of people living on the fort and a total of 156 properties are illegal. We just want this encroachment to be removed,” he had confirmed.

Reportedly, the state took cognizance of the event and is believed to have ordered the removal of the illegal encroachment.

Source : OpIndia