DHARWAD: Dharwad district administration commenced work on shifting of Hazrat Syed Mahmood Shah Qadri Dargah located near Bairidevarkoppa in Hubballi on Wednesday. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 were clamped and the work was undertaken amid tight security.
The dargah is being shifted for the widening of the road under the Hubballi-Dharwad Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), an initiative of the state government. The road, which is 36-metre wide, will now be widened to 44 metres.
The project was started in 2010, but the Muslim community leaders moved a court in 2016 and brought a stay order. However, the court has now directed the authorities to commence the work. As many as 250 personnel from the police department and Rapid Action Force were deployed in the area. Police personnel from districts like Karwar, Haveri and Koppal were brought in.
The shifting of the dargah is being carried out by covering the entire area with giant sheets and cloth to block the view from the public. The permission for holding religious rituals was given before the commencement of the shifting work and five religious heads took part in the rituals.