Hindutva goons demolish graves, install idols inside Ahmedabad’s 600-yr-old dargah
Ghandinagar: In yet another incident of Islamophobia in Modi-ruled India, Hindutva goons attacked the 600-year-old dargah of Imam Shah Baba on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in India’s Gujarat state and demolished graves and installed idols in the shrine.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the graves of Imam Shah and his family members were flattened during the attack by the Hindutva mob. The Muslims living in Pirana village, where the dargah is situated, reached the spot as soon as they came to know about the desecration.
The confrontation led to heated argument, and meanwhile stone pelting took place, injuring four people.
Reportedly, police have detained 30 people so far in relation to the incident.
The police also confirmed that the structures built upon the graves were razed off by the Hindutva men.
“We objected to the razing of the graves and demanded restoration,” Azhar Saiyed, a descendant of the saint and a resident of Pirana, said. However, he lamented that there has been no action yet in this regard.
Notably, Imam Shah Baba is a figure revered by Muslims and others for centuries. In the wake of the Babri Masjid demolition, Hindutva extremist organizations led by VHP (Vishva Hindu Parishad) launched a campaign to “reclaim” other places of worship held by the Muslim community. The dargah in Pirana was part of the list and since then, several attempts were made to forcefully lay control over the place and to erase the history of the 600 year old shrine. Events inducing anti-Muslim hate had been conducted in the vicinity of the shrine every now and then.
