Shimla. Protesters demanding demolition of an illegal portion of a mosque in Shimla’s Sanjauli area clashed with security personnel on Wednesday. The protesters broke the barricades put up by the police and pelted stones, while the police used water cannon and lathicharge to disperse them.
Hundreds of protesters gathered at Sabzi Mandi Dhalli shouting slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Hindu Ekta Zindabad” and started marching towards Sanjauli to register their protest, violating prohibitory orders and ignoring the warnings of the administration. They broke the barricades erected near the Dhalli tunnel. When the protesters, who had gathered on the call of some Hindu groups, entered Sanjauli and broke another barricade erected near the mosque, the police resorted to lathicharge and water cannon to disperse them.
The police detained some protesters, including Hindu Jagran Manch secretary Kamal Gautam, and again put up barricades near the mosque, but the protesters refused to leave the place and continued raising slogans against the administration.
Due to the clash, children of Sanjauli, Dhalli and surrounding areas were stuck in schools. Local residents expressed their anger towards the administration. They said that despite knowing about the protest, the administration did not order to keep the schools closed.
Locals said that many school managements are waiting for instructions from the district administration to send the children back home.
At least two policemen were injured in the clashes and stone pelting, while protesters claimed that some of them too were injured in the police action. Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi was present at the spot along with Director General of Police (DGP) Atul Verma. He said efforts were on to bring the situation under control.
Gandhi said, “We are trying to calm the situation through dialogue, but there is no leader and the crowd is not ready to listen.” However, Vijay Sharma, one of the leaders of the protesters, said that the police lathicharge on the protesters has created an atmosphere of unrest in the area.
Sunita, who was involved in the protest, claimed that the police also lathicharged the children. She said, “We are neither from Congress nor BJP, we are Hindus and want these street vendors to go out.” Janvi, a sixth class student of SPM Public School, Sanjauli, said that the students were scared as they were stuck in the school due to the protest. She said, “When our parents came to pick us up, we were allowed to go.” Many protesters alleged that the government first did not allow them to protest peacefully and now is arresting them.
Sharma said, “Our demand is that the structure be sealed till the hearing is over, all outsiders coming to the state be registered and a vendor policy be made on the basis of population, in which 95 percent licenses should be given to Hindus.” Many women also joined the protest and recited Hanuman Chalisa in Dhalli before breaking the barricade.
Heavy police force has been deployed in Sanjauli and surrounding areas amid rising tension over illegal construction in a mosque in Sanjauli area and a bandh call by Hindu organisations demanding demolition of the disputed structure. The Shimla district administration has issued prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Indian Civil Defence Code, which prohibits gathering of more than five people and possession of weapons. Himachal Pradesh Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh appealed to maintain peace and said that the state government would take necessary legal action on the dispute regarding the mosque.
He said, “This is not the case of just one structure, but there are more than 4,000-5,000 such structures. This case has been pending in the court of the Municipal Commissioner for the last 14 years and efforts will be made to expedite the hearing of the case.” Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Jairam Thakur also appealed to the protesters not to disobey the prohibitory orders.
He warned the government, “The issue of illegal mosque is very sensitive and should not be taken lightly and the hearing on the case should be done quickly, as tension can spread to other parts of the state as well.” Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu told reporters here on Tuesday that this issue should not be given a political color.
He said, “It is the responsibility of the government to maintain law and order. People have the right to protest peacefully, but no harm should be caused to any person of any community.” Sukhu said that as far as the mosque is concerned, the matter of unauthorized or illegal construction on some floors is with the Municipal Corporation and the law will do its work and a request will be made for a quick decision on this issue.
Some Hindu organizations have called for a Sanjauli bandh on Wednesday, demanding the demolition of the illegal disputed structure and registration of outsiders coming to the state. Hindu groups had also staged a massive protest at the Vidhan Sabha and Chaura Maidan near Sanjauli on Thursday regarding their demands.