Online Desk: Tensions ran high in Ratnagiri on Tuesday as Hindutva supporters and workers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) protested the inauguration of a Waqf Board office in the Shirgaon area of the city. Minister Udaya Samant, a member of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and caretaker of Ratnagiri district, faced strong opposition from both the Sakal Hindu Samaj and his own party members during the event.
On Monday evening, as Udaya Samant arrived to inaugurate the new Waqf Board office, he was met with resistance from Hindutva supporters, who waved black flags and raised slogans against him. Members of the Sakal Hindu Samaj, a local Hindutva group, had made their opposition clear before the event. At a press conference held earlier, Chandrakant Rayol, Rakesh Nalode, and Viraj Chauhan, leaders of the group, voiced their concerns.
“We oppose the establishment of the Waqf Board office in Ratnagiri. We have formally informed the District Collector and District Superintendent of Police, demanding that the inauguration be halted,” said Rayol, expressing the group’s grievances. According to the protesters, they believe that illegal places of worship are being set up in areas like Shirgaon, TilakSingralia, and Panhale, accusing the Waqf Board of land grabs with an aim to ‘Islamise’ the district.
The opposition did not stop with local activists. BJP’s Ratnagiri district president, Rajesh Sawant, also expressed his disapproval of the Waqf Board office, despite being part of the state government. “We are in alliance with the government, but we strongly oppose this office. The central government has already presented the Waqf Amendment Bill and is awaiting suggestions. No decision has been made on the bill yet, and suddenly a new office is being inaugurated without consultation,” said Sawant.
Despite tight security measures put in place by the police, Samant’s convoy faced fierce protests. As his vehicle entered Ratnagiri, Sakal Hindu Samaj members and BJP supporters greeted him with chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and black flags.The minister was quickly escorted by police into the Waqf Board office, but the event was rushed through due to the growing crowd of protesters outside. After the brief inauguration, Samant exited the office under heavy security.
The opening of the Waqf Board office in Ratnagiri has sparked a broader debate within local political circles and Hindutva organisations, with both sides waiting to see what impact the central government’s Waqf Bill will have on such projects. For now, Ratnagiri remains at the centre of a brewing controversy, as both sides prepare for further developments.
