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Dargah in Mysore razed, grave spared for now

Last Updated 19 January 2012, 17:18 IST

Continuing its demolition drive against illegal structures, including places of worship appropriating public spaces, the Mysore City Corporation on Wednesday night pulled down a dargah on the D Devaraj Urs Road.

The operation was conducted amid tight security — more than a thousand police personnel were present at the site — after midnight, with top district officials overseeing the demolition.

Deputy Commissioner P S Vastrad, Mysore City Corporation Commissioner K S Raykar, Commissioner of Police Sunil Agarwal, Deputy Commissioner of Police Basavaraj Malagatti, zonal assistant commissioners Thimmappa, Mahesh and Jagadish camped at site till the operation was completed.

The six-decades-old structure housed the tomb known as ‘Dargah Hazrat Sikandar Shah Wali’. More than 20 workers dismantled it, while providing proper shelter for the grave. Tipper lorries and two excavators were pressed into service for the operation.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, a source said that the grave was “protected as there were records pertaining to the site”.

“MUDA has to provide an alternative site to the community to move the grave,” the source added. Weeks before launching the operation, Police Commissioner Agarwal said, meetings were held with the Muslim community leaders to convince them about the significance of the operation.

“We have had no confrontations over the matter. It’s an order from the Supreme Court and all of us are bound to follow it. All communities, which stand to lose some of their places of worship, understand it fully,” he added.

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(Published 19 January 2012, 17:18 IST)

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