A demolition drive was undertaken near Mathura's Shri Krishna Janmasthan, which is usually considered a 'sensitive' area as it is adjacent to disputed Shahi Idgah Mosque, the ownership of which is being challenged legally. Around 100 houses were demolished in the Nai Basti area, which is predominantly inhabited by minority population.
Bulldozers began demolishing the houses as they were "illegally developed on government land". "Structures illegally constructed on railway land are being removed following due process. The land is required to transform the line from Mathura to Vrindavan from narrow gauge to broad gauge," Nitin Garg, the Divisional Work Engineer of Railways said, according to a report by Times of India.
Although notifications had been issued to the residents beforehand, they contested the matter in the civil court, with the next hearing scheduled for 21 August. A total of 135 houses, with 200 families, have been marked for demolition, according to the report. The affected residents alleged that despite ongoing legal proceedings and the matter being sub-judice, the demolition was carried out.
The point of contention is the Shahi Idgah Mosque. Around 15 petitions have been filed seeking the removal of the mosque which has fanned communal tensions in Mathura over the last few years. In 1956, the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sangh (SKJSS) was established by Shri Krishna Janmasthan Sansthan to manage the affairs of the temple. It took up the cause of the Hindu claim in courts in 1967. A “compromise agreement” was signed out of court between the SKJSS and the Shahi Masjid Idgah Trust in 1968, in which it was agreed that the mosque will not be removed.
Similar case in Haldwani
In a major relief to families in Uttarkhand's Haldwani area, the Supreme Court in January this year, stayed the order of the Uttarakhand High Court that had ordered the eviction of people on Railway's land.
Around 4,000 families living in unauthorised colonies near Haldwani railway station started receiving eviction notices with a 7-day period to vacate the area, following an order from the Uttarakhand High Court.
Delivering its order, the SC ruled, "There needs to be clarity on whether complete land vests in Railways or what land belongs to the state... 50,000 people cannot be evicted overnight."
