Ahmedabad Chartoda Kabrastan Gets Notice To Shift Graves For Road Widening, Locals Oppose
Locals have urged AMC to withdraw the notice, citing religious sanctity and historical importance of the Chartoda Kabrastan.
Published : January 8, 2026 at 2:35 PM IST
Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has issued a notice to the Chartoda Kabrastan in Gomtipur area to relocate around 300 graves for a road widening project, raising concerns about damage and potential destruction.
Under the Road Development Plan (RDP), the stretch from Kalidas Mill Char Rasta to Ambika Char Rasta, passing through the Chartoda Kabrastan, is being widened to 30.5 metre. A 10-day deadline has been given for shifting the graves.
However, local residents claimed that there is no provision in the Sharia law for relocating graves and demanded that the work be undertaken without disturbing the cemetery.
Gomtipur municipal councillor Zulfiqar Khan Pathan said there is no rule in the Sharia law about shifting graves from one place to another. "The Chartoda Kabrastan houses an iconic building, 'Dadi Mai ka Roza', which is more than 600 years old. The government lawyer stated that according to the Gujarat High Court's January 2025 judgment, nothing will be demolished in the cemetery. Furthermore, the cemetery area is protected under the Waqf Act. Therefore, this property cannot be transferred to any individual or authority," he said.
A few days back, AMC sent a notice to the Sunni Muslim Waqf Committee to shift 286 graves following Islamic rituals so that the road can be widened. "After this, we met the Deputy Municipal Commissioner of the East Zone, who assured us that further action would be taken as per legal procedures. There is no such rule in our Sharia law to shift graves. We want development to be carried out, but do not encroach upon the cemetery land," he added.
Local resident Ayub Bhai said, "My father's grave has been here since 1997, and my uncle's and his great uncle's graves are also here. Now, there are talks about shifting them. We support the government's work, but we don't want the graves to be shifted."
Salim Bhai Ghanchi, a resident of Pujari ki Chal, said, "My father's grave has been in this cemetery since 1996 and many of our relatives are buried here. The government wants us to remove these graves but there is no such provision in Islam so we want these graves to remain as they are."
Leader of the Opposition in AMC and Congress leader, Shahzad Khan Pathan, said, "On one hand, the AMC demolishes people's houses, and on the other, it wants to shift the graves. It is shameful that AMC is not sparing the graves."
Congress councilors and residents of Gomtipur have jointly submitted a representation to the Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner, stating that Islam does not permit the removal of graves and requesting that the order be withdrawn. The Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner has assured to take a decision after considering the matter, they said.
The Congress leaders said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the AMC are misleading people on religious matters. Instead of taking care of basic amenities, AMC is focusing on temples, mosques, cemeteries, and crematoriums. We demand that the notice be withdrawn immediately, Pathan said.
Local councillor Iqbal Sheikh said, "Chartoda Kabrastan, spanning over 107,000 square metres, is managed by the Ahmedabad Sunni Muslim Waqf Committee. It was recognised as a cemetery during the British Rule in 1944. We have requested the Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner to note that the corporation has not yet allotted any land for a cemetery and there is no corporation-owned cemetery in the city. People of other religions have access to crematoriums, but not cemeteries. Chartoda is an old cemetery, the ownership of which rests with the Waqf. According to the corporation's notice, 286 graves in this area are to be shifted. We want to resolve the matter by treating it as a religious issue, as people from all over Ahmedabad come here for burials, and their family members are also buried here. Therefore, we request the Commissioner not to go ahead with shifting the graveyard.
A member of the Ahmedabad Sunni Muslim Waqf Committee said every effort is being made to protect this cemetery land and the Gujarat Waqf Board has also been informed.
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