Shimla mosque row: Muslim panel asks municipal corporation to seal unauthorised portion, says it will demolish that part itself.Representatives of the Masjid committee on Thursday submitted a memorandum to the Shimla Municipal Corporation Commissioner Bhupender Kumar Attri and asked the civic body to seal the unauthorised portion of the structure at Sanjauli, adding that it would demolish that part itself.
The development comes a day after protesters demanding the demolition of an illegal portion of a mosque in Shimla’s Sanjauli area clashed with security personnel on Wednesday, breaking barricades and pelting stones as police used water cannons and baton charged to disperse them. About 10 people including police and women were injured.
Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh said the government was seriously concerned over escalation of the situation and keeping a close watch on all the developments.“We are in touch with the central leadership and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and myself have talked to party president Mallikarjun Kharge and party in-charge Rajiv Shukla and they are also concerned that there was no deterioration in law and order situation,” he said.
Raising slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Hindu Ekta Zindabad”, hundreds of protesters gathered at the Sabzi Mandi Dhalli and marched towards Sanjauli market, defying prohibitory orders and ignoring warnings by the administration. They broke barricades erected near the Dhalli tunnel while another crowd gathered at Sanjauli Chowk.
As the protesters gathered on the call of some Hindu groups entered Sanjauli and broke a second barricade near the mosque, police baton charged and used water cannons to disperse them. Police detained some protesters as well, including Hindu Jagran Manch secretary Kamal Gautam, and erected the barricade near the mosque again but the protesters refused to leave and continued raising slogans against the administration.
The outbreak of the clash left students in Sanjauli, Dhalli and adjoining areas stranded in schools. Residents vented their anger at the administration for not ordering the schools to remain closed for the day despite being aware of the demonstration.They said several school managements are awaiting directions from the district administration to send the children back home.
