Demolition around Afzal Khan’s tomb begins in Satara on ‘Shiv Pratap Din’

Afzal Khan was killed by Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj near the Pratapgarh Fort in Maharashtra’s Satara district in 1659 and a tomb had been built there in his memory. Significantly, the administration chose to take the action on the 363rd anniversary of the incident, celebrated by admirers of Shivaji Maharaj as ‘Shiv Pratap Din’.

Satara district collector Ruchesh Jaiwanshi said the decision to demolish the “unauthorised structures” was taken in a state government meeting a week ago.

“There are orders of the high court that the illegal structures erected on revenue department and forest department land be taken down. About a week ago, a meeting was held on this matter and it was decided that action shall be taken,’ said Jaiwanshi.

When asked why the anniversary was chosen as the day to bring down the structure, Jaiwanshi said that the government machinery became available on this day. “We decided on this day as the force and machinery required became available for today. The choice of the day was left to us,” said Jaiwanshi.

Jaiwanshi said that the demolition may go on throughout the day Thursday and there have been no law and order issued owing to the action so far.

When contacted, Superintendent of Police of (Satara) Sameer Shaikh told The Indian Express, “The said action was taken by the revenue and forest departments. The police deployment was made in the area to make sure that there was no law and order incident.”

The structures have been in contention for over a decade and a half and several Hindu right-wing organisations moved courts demanding that the structures, which they said were encroachments on government land, should be demolished.