By Syed Mueen
Karnataka: The 300-year-old Hazrath Syed Murad shah wali Dargah of Kanakapura Taluk, Ramanagar district was razed by officials on Wednesday who claimed that the shrine was government
property.
The 2.33 acre plot that includes the shrine and an Eidgah is visited by Muslims to take blessings and organize Urus. The shrine is named after Hazrath Murad Shah wali; a soldier of Tipu Sultan’s army.
Local residents allege that the negligence of the Waqf board officers lead to the shrine being razed.
Abhishek Gowda, a real estate contractor filed a case in 2020 allegedly claiming it to be government property that Muslims have falsely occupied and demanded that the dargah be vacated. Soon after the notice from the local court, Muslim leaders brought this into the knowledge of the Waqf Board and submitted all supporting documents in Bangalore.
Speaking to Siasat.com, Dargah committee President Riyaz said “We blindly trusted that Waqf board will handle this issue and we could carry out our Urs (religious rally) which we were practicing from past 300 years. But the Waqf board failed”.
Sharuk Khan, a resident from Kanakapura taluk told this reporter that, “We Muslims were going to Murad shah wali dargah from past several years to pay our respects. The razing of the dargah is highly unacceptable and against our religious sentiments.”
“The Eidgah site where we perform namaz in the congregation was a private property given in donation. The sit was also razed by government authorities. This is part of ongoing attacks on Muslim religious places and their beliefs,” he added.
Speaking to Siasat.com, a resident of Kanakapura Village- Tabrez said that “Eidgah place of 8 kunta which
was Waqf land , donated by peer saab for the people of village to perform namaz is illegally razed and occupied by government authorities. We have all the documents necessary and we are going to file a petition in high court for occupying private land of Eidgah.”
Saleem from Kanakpura taluk holding all the documents of land and dargah said that from past 2 years the case was going on in high court and waqf board assigned lawyers failed to fight the case.
“Early in the morning of Wednesday government officials came with Tahsildar and demolished the shrine two days the court issued a stay order,” Saleem added.
“Tahsildar communicated very rashly to people and told them that they could not perform namaz or any religious practice in the premises. We were told to do only farming or any other type of labour work if required,” said Saleem.
