Mumbai: The longstanding dispute over Haji Malang Dargah at Kalyan is once again back in the news after Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde has vowed to 'liberate' the shrine. His remarks have sparked a fresh controversy about the 800-year-old religious structure in the state.
"I know your feelings about Malanggad. Anand Dighe started the liberation movement of Malanggad after which we have started saying "Jay Malang Shri Malang," the CM said while addressing the 'Malanggad Harinam Mahotsav,' a religious gathering in Thane district.
"I want to let you know that there are certain things that can’t be said in public. I know that there are certain beliefs that you have in your hearts about the liberation of Malanggad. Eknath Shinde will not stay quiet till he fulfills your wishes,” he added.
The controversy about the site revolves around its identity as there is a dargah of Sufi saint Haji Abd-ul-Rahman - popularly known as Haji Malang Baba. However, the Shiv Sena has been spearheading a campaign for more than four decades claiming that it is a temple dedicated to the Hindu saint Shri Machindranath, the incarnation of Navanath of Nath Panth (sect).
It was Shinde's mentor late ‘Dharmaveer’ Anand Dighe, who started the practice of performing puja at the structure in the eighties and was also instrumental in officially changing the name from Haji Malang to Malanggad.
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi has slammed the CM over his comments.
"Maharashtra CM and Deputy CM are openly celebrating criminal acts and inciting people to commit crime. This is the direct result of the civil & criminal Babri judgments. The judgments may have emboldened such acts," Owaisi said.
"Men who have taken a constitutional oath feel no shame in targeting Muslim places of worship," he added.
