A tunnel-like structure was discovered inside a dargah (mausoleum) during road repair work in Pune's Mancher town, which has raised tensions in the area on Friday. According to Loksatta, the incident took place at Chavdi Chowk in the central part of Manchar town, Ambegaon taluka, when a portion of a local dargah collapsed due to road repair work, revealing a tunnel beneath the site.
The discovery of the tunnel exacerbated tensions between the two communities. The Hindu organisations in Pune, sought inspection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the site, suspecting that an ancient structure might be present, while the Muslim community claimed that the dargah was hundreds of years old.
After which, the police have increased the security at the site and held discussions with both communities on Friday night, urging citizens to maintain peace.
Local Muslim leader Raju Inamdar said that Manchar is a city where all faiths coexist peacefully, and stressed that some news channels had spread false reports about the site being a mosque. He clarified that the structure is a dargah, with supporting evidence held by the Ambegaon taluka administration. The police are currently gathering information about the newly discovered tunnel, which is speculated to be a tomb. Inamdar urged citizens not to be misled by rumours.
Meanwhile, Hindu organisations claimed the site was not originally a dargah but rather an ancient Hindu structure. They suspected the discovery of Hindu relics following the collapse of the wall and demanded a proper investigation.
DYSP Amol Mandwe said, "At the Auliya Dargah in Manchar, where repair work was going on, news has been circulating for the past two days. But as of now, complete peace prevails in Manchar, and there is no kind of tension. We are in constant contact with both groups, talking to them, and have appealed to everyone to maintain peace. They too are cooperating peacefully, and there is no problem..."