Tension at Durgadi Fort amid Eid ul-Azha prayers; Shiv Sainiks detained

Tension gripped the Durgadi Fort area in Kalyan on Saturday when workers belonging to both factions of Shiv Sena tried to reach the goddess Durga temple atop the hill while Eid ul-Azha prayers were being offered at its foothills.

Police detained several protesters for violating the prohibitory orders.

Activists of Uddhav Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena (UBT) and Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde arrived at the foothills of the fort separately in the morning and held bell-ringing protests, demanding access to the temple.

A senior police official said both groups converged at Shivaji Chowk and shouted slogans demanding the "liberation of Durgadi Fort".

Anticipating demonstrations, police deployed adequate personnel at Lal Chowki and Durgadi Fort and also put up roadblocks.

Shiv Sainiks from both factions, however, tried to climb barricades and proceed toward the fort.

"Repeated attempts were made to breach the police cordon. Shiv Sainiks tried to remove barricades, but our personnel resisted firmly and maintained order," the police official added.

When denied passage to the fort, the agitators performed aarti at Lal Chowki.

"As the situation escalated and public order was at risk, we detained several protestors from both factions for violating the prohibitory orders under Section 144," the official said, adding that the fort was sealed off and vehicular movement was diverted via alternate routes from Saturday morning.

He said nobody would be allowed to vitiate a religious activity into a political confrontation.

The dispute between Hindus and Muslims over offering prayers at the fort has been a regular feature for years.

The legal battle over the mosque and the edgah (prayer space) inside the fort has been going on since 1976 when Majlish-e-Mushavreen Majjid Trust filed a suit. The fort also houses a Hindu temple.

The mosque and Edgah space were being used by the local Muslim community for daily prayers until 1968 when the Government of Maharashtra granted a lease of the premises to the Kalyan Municipal Council.

The Kalyan civil court last December dismissed the suit, ruling in favour of the state government.