23 May,2026 07:08 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
The draft legislation aims to grant ownership rights to tenants and occupants of lands historically owned by temple trusts. Representational Pic
The Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh will launch a statewide agitation on Sunday, demanding the withdrawal of the proposed State Devasthan Inam Abolition Draft Act, 2026, claiming it targets properties of Hindu temples while excluding Waqf land from its purview, reported PTI.
The draft legislation aims to grant ownership rights to tenants and occupants of lands historically owned by temple trusts. It also seeks to resolve pending disputes and unlock nearly 4 lakh hectares of land. However, the proposal has faced stiff opposition from several Hindu organisations.
The Mahasangh on Saturday claimed that more than 300 memorandums had been submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, ministers, and district collectors, demanding the unconditional withdrawal of the draft law.
The Mahasangh is a state-level coalition of temple trustees, priests, and religious organisations that aims to unite temple administrations, protect religious properties, and standardise temple culture, reported PTI.
According to a release issued by the organisation, the proposed law would strip away historic lands granted to deities by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and other royal dynasties.
Alleging religious discrimination, the Mahasangh said Section 1 of the draft excludes Waqf Board lands entirely while targeting Hindu temple properties.
"Section 18 bars trustees from seeking legal redress in civil courts against arbitrary decisions by revenue officials, effectively shutting the doors of the judiciary," the release stated.
The Mahasangh further claimed that the government has assured it of convening a special meeting with Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule to address its grievances.
As the anti-encroachment drive at Garib Nagar, Bandra East neared the 3000 sq m mark on Wednesday afternoon, conflict gripped the area, with hundreds of locals staging a protest attempting to gain entry to the restricted site.
The situation eventually spiralled out of control, prompting police personnel to resort to lathi-charges on multiple fronts to disperse the mob.
Shortly after, at 5.20 pm, stones were pelted for several minutes before the Riot Control Police charged at those responsible. The mob started pelting stones at the demolition site where police personnel, railway staff, and journalists were present.
Subsequently, a team of Riot Control Police in additional safety gear led another lathi-charge towards the area where stone pelters were present. A few individuals were detained, while the majority dispersed inside the lanes of Behram Nagar.
The first conflict raged around 4.30 pm; protesters threw household effects at cops.
Later, the police halted the demolition at the request of a few locals who wanted to collect some important items from the restricted site.
The action from Western Railway with the assistance of state police, follows the order of the Bombay High Court in the matter dated April 29, 2026, permitting the removal of the unauthorised encroachments, while protecting identified eligible structures.
(With PTI inputs)
