A day after the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) demolished ‘illegal’ constructions using bulldozers at Haidary Chowk on Mira Road in Thane district, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on Wednesday razed encroachments from around 40 shops on Muslim-dominated Mohammed Ali Road in Mumbai.
The MBMC had carried out the demolition on Tuesday in the same area where the situation had been tense since Sunday following the clash between two communities after a procession was taken out to mark the opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
‘Deep Cleaning’ Drive
Quoting BMC officials, an Indian Express report said all structures brought down on Mohammed Ali Road were illegal and it was done to free up space on the footpaths in Wednesday’s demolition.
An official from BMC’s removal of encroachment department was quoted by Indian Express as saying, “At present there are local drives being taken up in all municipal wards as part of CM’s ‘deep cleaning’ drive. For which, we are removing small roadside eateries and vendors to ensure the pavements stay clean. This drive has been operational since the first week of December.”
Opposition Reacts to Demolition Drive in Mumbai
Congress party raised questions over the bulldozer action against a “particular community” calling it “unconstitutional”.
Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said, “The use of bulldozers is not the constitutional way to act against unauthorised constructions. A proper legal procedure of hearing and notices being served should be followed. One also wonders why such actions are always targeted at particular communities. It should be stopped.”
Samajwadi Party MLA from Bhiwandi, Rais Shaikh said, “The government is doing all this because elections are coming. They single out one particular community and they think that by doing so they would be able to please the other one. But they are mistaken. This would in fact go against them. Maharashtra has been a land of saints.”
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