Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday, May 21, defended the ongoing demolition drive in Bandra East and said that the action was being carried out according to the law and under directions of the Bombay High Court (HC).
He addressed the media in Mumbai and spoke about the violence that took place during the anti-encroachment operation in Garib Nagar near Bandra Terminus.
Fadnavis said some miscreants threw stones at police personnel who had been deployed at the site for bandobast duty. He said the police later carried out a light lathi-charge to control the crowd and maintain law and order in the area.
According to police officials, clashes broke out on Wednesday, May 20, after authorities demolished a religious structure that was allegedly built illegally. The demolition was part of a cleaning and anti-encroachment operation being carried out by Western Railway near Bandra Terminus.
During the violence, protesters allegedly threw stones and cement blocks at police personnel and security staff. Seven policemen were injured in the incident, officials said. Police later used force to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control.
The demolition drive in Garib Nagar entered its third consecutive day on Thursday, May 21. The area continued to witness a large police presence as authorities carried on with the operation. Residents facing eviction staged protests at the site, leading to tense scenes during the drive. Despite the unrest, Western Railway officials said the operation was progressing rapidly and nearly 85 per cent of the demolition work had already been completed.
Mumbai Police registered a case in connection with the violence and stone-pelting during the demolition operation. Police said 16 people have been arrested so far in connection with the clashes. Authorities also filed a case against 100 to 150 unidentified persons linked to the disturbance.
All arrested persons were scheduled to be produced before the Bandra Court after 2 pm on Thursday, according to police officials.
Hundreds of personnel from the Mumbai Police, Government Railway Police and Railway Protection Force remained deployed in the area to prevent further unrest and maintain security during the demolition work.
Officials said the anti-encroachment drive is part of Western Railway’s larger plan to clear railway land near Bandra Terminus for future infrastructure expansion projects. Authorities stated that many of the demolished structures were illegal encroachments built on railway property.