Mumbai police have been paying tributes at Mahim Dargah for many years - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 19, 2021
A post accompanying a video of a group of policemen paying tributes by organizing a salute ceremony at a Dargah is being shared across social media platforms alluding that Mumbai police paid respects to Pir Hazrat Makdoom Shah at the behest of Shiv Sena. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Mumbai police paying tributes at Pir Hazrat Makdoom Shah Dargah at the behest of Shiv Sena.
Fact: Mumbai police indeed paid tributes to Makhdum Ali Mahimi by offering the first chadar to Mahim Dargah. They have been following this ritual for years now. According to news articles, Makhdum Ali Mahimi has been the patron saint of the Mumbai police since its roots as a citizen’s militia in the 17th century. There are multiple old videos and news articles related to Mumbai police paying tributes at Mahimi Dargah. This has nothing to do with Shiva Sena. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
YouTube search with relevant keywords led us to a video that is similar to the one in the post. This video was uploaded to YouTube on 30 December 2020 and the caption of the video reads ‘Urs Mubarak Makhdoom Shah Baba Mahim Mumbai lockdown 2020.’
Google search with relevant keywords led us to a 30 December 2020 tweet by ‘The Indian Express’ which shared an image of Mumbai police offering the first chaddar to Mahim Dargah. According to this tweet, Mumbai city police force has the privilege of laying the first chadar on the Urs of saint and scholar Makhdoom Ali Mahimi.
Mumbai Police carry chaddar to Mahim Dargah on Tuesday. The city police force has the privilege of laying the first chaddar on the Urs of saint and scholar Makhdoom Ali Mahimi. (📸 Amit Chakravarty) pic.twitter.com/GVawUxOzQw
Further search led us to a 2016 tweet by Mumbai Police which shared the images of the first chadar offering by Mumbai police at Mahim Makdhoom Shah. Also according to the tweet, they have been following this tradition for years.
We have the honour of offering d 1st 'Chadar'at Mahim Makdhoom Shah annual Urs- A tradition bng followed since years pic.twitter.com/x2LFnTlOUq
According to another the article published by Scroll, ‘Makhdum Ali Mahimi have been the patron saint of the Mumbai police since its roots as a citizen’s militia in the 17th century’ and ‘The Mumbai police force has the privilege of laying the first chadar, or decorative tomb covering, of the Urs in Mahimi’s respect’. Also once every year on Mahimi’s Urs, Mumbai police visit this place and pay their respects. Articles from 2018 & 2019 which mention the ritual of Mumbai police can be read here and here.  Old videos of Mumbai police offerings at the Dargah can be watched here and here. All these establish the fact that Mumbai police have been paying tributes at Mahimi’s Urs by offering the first chadar for years and this is not the first of its kind event.
To sum it up, Mumbai police have been offering the first chadar at Mahim Dargah for years, and has nothing to do with Shiv Sena being in power.