Somnath: On September 28, 2024, the Gujarat administration conducted a demolition operation that targeted illegal religious structures, including a mosque, graveyard, and dargah, located near the revered Somnath Temple.
The operation involved the deployment of 36 JCBs, 70 tractors, 5 Hitachi machines, 10 dumpers, and a force of 1,400 policemen, as reported by Desh Gujarat, a local news organization. This initiative was taken in response to illegal encroachments and unlawfully constructed religious structures in Prabhas Patan, Gir Somnath district, in proximity to the Somnath Mandir.
A significant gathering of members from the minority community witnessed the operation as heavy machinery moved to dismantle the structures. Although the operation proceeded peacefully, authorities detained over 70 individuals for protesting and moving into restricted areas. Key officials present included the district collector, the Inspector General, three Superintendents of Police, six Deputy Superintendents of Police, and fifty police inspectors and sub-inspectors.
An independent media organization, The Observer Post, circulated a video claiming that bulldozers were used to demolish mosques, graveyards, and dargahs in Prabhas Patan Veraval in Somnath.
The demolition began early in the morning, around 4 AM. Illegal religious structures on government lands have become a common sight in Gujarat, particularly in coastal regions like Somnath. Historically, Somnath faced repeated raids by Mahmud of Ghazni, who aimed to humiliate Hindus by destroying the presiding deity’s idol and dispersing its fragments to various locations.
The infamous plunder of the Somnath Temple attracted other Islamic invaders, leading to the construction of illegal structures alongside these religious shrines over time. Past demolition drives by the Gujarat administration in coastal areas such as Bet Dwarka, Porbandar, and Jamnagar have targeted encroachments, land grabbing, and activities posing threats to national security, including drug trafficking and smuggling.
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