Tensions rose over illegal mosque construction in the Dhalli area of Shimla on Wednesday. A protest against the expansion of the mosque was staged by various Hindu organizations. The mushrooming growth has brought the mosque at Sanjauli in Himachal Pradesh into controversy.
Protestors broke the police barricades and marched to the site, shouting slogans against the construction. The police were forced to lathi-charge when the crowd turned unruly. Heavy police deployment was at Dhalli Tunnel to avoid any untoward incident. Vehicles were being checked to see if they were safe to pass. Notwithstanding the effort, protesters removed the barricades and entered the Dhalli Tunnel East portal.
To disperse the crowd, police hosed demonstrators with water cannons, but protesters refused to back down and sat in protest. Protesters demanded the mosque be demolished, citing that it violates local building codes. Demonstrators claimed their protest was not about religion but about legality.
From a humble shop in 2010, the mosque expanded into a five-storey building measuring 6,750 square feet. The protesters say that the mosque at Sanjauli was constructed on government land, against the law. Since 2010, there have been 45 hearings in court; yet, no final decision has been taken thus far.
Mosque’s Imam’s stance on illegal mosque construction: ‘The building is older than independence’
The mosque’s Imam denied the allegations, saying that the building was older than 1947 and belonged to the Waqf Board. The locals complained that the number of Muslim populations in the area had increased rapidly and expressed apprehensions over the demographic changes.
The protesters maintain that the expansion of the mosque is unauthorized and in violation of building norms. Larger issues thrown up in this controversy relate to the rule of law and demographic change in Shimla.
This protest on illegal mosque construction also saw the hot and strong interactions between police and protesters. Wherein, batons and water cannons played their role. Now, issues relating to construction laws and land ownership in Shimla are at the fore.
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