Dargah, houses demolished in Gujarat in guise of illegal encroachments
Gandhinagar: The BJP-led Gujarat government has razed a religious site and hundreds of houses in Dwarka district under the guise of removing illegal encroachments and protecting national security.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the demolition drive, conducted under heavy police presence, saw the demolishing of the Hazrat Panj Peer Dargah in Okha, a religious site claimed to be on land owned by the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB). The operation extended to Bet Dwarka, where approximately 200 houses were demolished in the past three days, displacing several families.
Bulldozers began demolishing early in the morning, catching many residents off guard. Authorities had claimed that notices were issued to residents, but many locals reported receiving little to no warning before their homes were demolished. The destruction left people scrambling to salvage their belongings, with women and children seen in distress as their homes were torn down.
Authorities claimed the operation as necessary to protect national security, particularly on Pirotan Island, where illegal structures were razed to preserve the area’s marine ecosystem. However, critics stated that the real motive behind the demolition is a heavy-handed attempt to clear out Muslim community under the pretext of environmental protection.
The authorities’ bulldozer-led action has been accompanied by heavy police deployment, preventing any resistance. While the government claims to have provided compensation, many families displaced by the demolitions are left uncertain about their future.
