Muslims in the city are up in arms against the proposed landing of the Worli-Haji Ali sea link near the shrine of Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari.
Amin Patel, the Congress MLA from Mumbadevi, said that as per the plan, the bridge will come towards Haji Ali in C shape and land right next to the pathway leading to the dargah.
The shrine is one of Mumbai’s most well-known landmarks and visited by people of all religions, who consider it as a repository of miraculous powers, like the Siddhivinayak temple at Prabhadevi and the Mount Mary Church at Bandra.
Everyday, an estimated 15,000 people visit the dargah, which is about 500 yards from the coast and becomes visible as one enters Lala Lajpat Rai Marg, which links Haji Ali and Worli.
“The sea-link will mar the beauty of the dargah that stands so majestically in the middle of the sea. It will hurt the religious sentiments of Indians,” said Patel, who has sought a change in the design of the sea link extension. He expressed concern that the location of the landing could result in chaos and accidents.