Gir Somnath demolition case: SC rejects plea seeking permission for religious event at dargah site

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected an application seeking permission to conduct an Urs at the site of the Pir Haji Shah Mangroli dargah in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath between February 1 and February 3, Live Law reported.

The dargah was among several Muslim religious sites and residences that were allegedly illegally demolished in Gir Somnath district in September.

In Islam, Urs is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint. It is typically conducted at the saint’s dargah, which is a shrine or tomb.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and AG Masih dismissed the request for conducting the Urs on the grounds that it could not be granted without hearing the “main matter”.

The bench was referring to a special leave petition in the Supreme Court against a Gujarat High Court order from October 3 that refused to stay the demolitions in Gir Somnath.

On September 28, the district authorities demolished nine mosques and shrines in addition to several homes in the Prabhas Patan area near the Somnath temple, allegedly on the pretext of removing encroachments from government land.

Subsequently, a contempt petition was filed by the Summast Patni Muslim Jamat, which represents the Patni Muslim community in Prabhas Patan, claiming that the district authorities had illegally bulldozed the Muslim religious sites and residences.

On October 4, the Supreme Court refused to stay the demolition…

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