Less than 48 hours after a crowd in Mira Road’s Naya Nagar on Sunday night attacked cars bearing “Jai Shri Ram” flags, the local civic authorities conducted a demolition drive at Hyderi Chowk in the same area, demolishing 17 illegal structures, including garages, temporary sheds, and shop extensions.
Over a thousand officers from the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), the Rapid Action Force (RAF), and the police stations in Vasai-Virar and Mira-Bhayander were deployed when the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation’s anti-demolition squad arrived with two bulldozers on Tuesday night in order to demolish the buildings.
The proprietors of the shops were not given any prior notice, and none of the demolished buildings belonged to any of the 13 people detained in relation to the attack on Sunday. The Thane sessions court has placed nine of the thirteen in police custody on remand; four of the thirteen are juveniles who have been placed in the Bhiwandi children’s detention home. A person who was detained after the vandalism for a social media post has been remanded to two days of police custody.
Maruti Gaikwad, the deputy municipal commissioner, described the demolition drive as regular. On Tuesday morning, the Bhayander civic administration had drawn out the plan for demolition
On Tuesday, the area around Mira Road, particularly Naya Nagar, became a fortress with many police platoons as tension persisted, to the point where even coaching sessions and schools were sending their children home. Nitesh Rane, a BJP MLA, was prevented from entering Naya Nagar after arriving late in the evening.
On Sunday evening, tensions between two groups first surfaced near Hyderi Chowk when a group of more than fifty persons vandalized ten motorbikes and four cars with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ flags and threw stones at them. The accused who were apprehended were charged with trying to kill someone, inciting hatred between communities, and inciting religious sentiment. Several saffron gangs attacked and stoned two parked autorickshaws in the vicinity on Monday night in revenge, according to police.
Increased Security at Mira Road
Tuesday saw increased security at the Mira Road train station as well as a police march through Naya Nagar. On Tuesday night, Bajrang Dal members chanted outside the Mira Road train station. Police forced them to disperse. The municipality had requested police protection in order to carry out the demolition, according to DCP Jayant Bajbale. The stores have been open for business for more than ten years. The eight illicitly added stores to a building, two sheds, and a garage were among the commercial buildings that were removed.
Police carrying tear gas weapons guarded the demolition squad. On Tuesday, the store owners who had kept their doors closed on Monday allowed customers back in. They said they were not permitted to remove or keep their possessions. According to locals, this was Hyderi Chowk’s crowded first demolition drive of that kind. Shop owners claimed to have lost lakhs of dollars.
Throughout the day, there were intermittent incidents of people yelling slogans disparaging a specific neighborhood. neighborhood leaders urged the populace to maintain their composure. Haji Babbu Khan, the leader of the Shiv Sena (Shinde group), stated that he has been working tirelessly to keep the area peaceful.
Shopkeepers said they suffered losses worth lakhs
Police carrying tear gas weapons guarded the demolition squad. On Tuesday, the store owners who had kept their doors closed on Monday allowed customers back in. They said they were not permitted to remove or keep their possessions. According to locals, this was Hyderi Chowk’s crowded first demolition drive of that kind. Shop owners claimed to have lost lakhs of dollars.
Throughout the day, there were intermittent incidents of people yelling slogans disparaging a specific neighborhood. neighborhood leaders urged the populace to maintain their composure. Haji Babbu Khan, the leader of the Shiv Sena (Shinde group), stated that he has been working tirelessly to keep the area peaceful.
According to Saad Syed, a social activist in Mira Road, “Close to a dozen structures have been demolished. As far as we know, no notices were served. Even if notices were served, what message is being sent by demolishing structures of a particular community a day after the communal clash. Are illegal structures present only in a particular community’s locality.”
Even though all of the partially destroyed stores are owned by Muslims and are situated in areas with a predominately Muslim population, some of them have been leased to Hindu retailers.
By: Gursharan Kaur