Illegal structures built around Afzal Khan's tomb in Maha demolished
Pune (PTI): The Satara district administration on Thursday demolished unauthorised structures built on government land around the tomb of Afzal Khan, the commander of the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur, a senior official said.
Afzal Khan was killed by Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj near the Pratapgarh Fort in Maharashtra's Satara district and a tomb had been built there in his memory.
The demolition exercise started in the early hours of Thursday amid heavy police bandobast and was still on, officials said.
"The illegal structures such as pucca rooms, built around the Afzal Khan tomb premises, have been razed by the district administration," Satara Collector Ruchesh Jaiwanshi told PTI.
The action was taken as per orders of the High Court and directions given by the state government, he said.
"The unauthorised structure was spread on 15 to 20 guntha land (one guntha is equal to 1,089 square feet)," the official said.
Some portion of the land belongs to the forest department while some parcels belong to the revenue department, he added.
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In solidarity with Palestinians, Priyanka carries bag emblazoned with 'Palestine' to Parliament
New Delhi, Dec 16: In a show of support for the people of Palestine, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday carried a bag to Parliament that had "Palestine" emblazoned on it.
The Congress general secretary has been raising her voice against Israel's actions in Gaza and expressing solidarity with Palestinians.
Gandhi was seen carrying a handbag emblazoned with the word "Palestine" and Palestinian emblems, including a watermelon -- seen as a symbol of Palestinian solidarity.
Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, Charge d'affaires of the Palestine Embassy in New Delhi, had last week called on Gandhi to congratulate the Congress leader on her recent election victory from Kerala's Wayanad.
In June, Gandhi slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over what she had said were the Israel government's "genocidal actions" in Gaza, as she accused him and his government of "barbarism".
The Congress general secretary's remarks had come after Netanyahu defended Israel's ongoing war in Gaza in a speech to the US Congress.
Gandhi had said it was no longer enough to speak up for the civilians, mothers, fathers, doctors, nurses, aid workers, journalists, teachers, writers, poets, senior citizens and the thousands of innocent children who were being wiped out day after day by the "horrific genocide" taking place in Gaza.
"It is the moral responsibility of every right-thinking individual, including all those Israeli citizens who do not believe in hatred and violence, and every government in the world to condemn the Israeli government's genocidal actions and force them to stop," she had said in a post on X.
Their actions are unacceptable in a world that professes civility and morality, Gandhi had said.
