Shimla Mosque Row: Office bearers of a local Muslim welfare committee on Thursday submitted a memorandum to the Municipal Commissioner, urging him to seal the unauthorised part of the mosque. They also offered to demolish it after the court delivers a verdict on the issue. The panel comprises the Imam of the mosque, members of the Waqf board, and the mosque management committee.
The development came after a three-hour bandh was observed in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla today during which several shops and business establishments remained closed in the capital. The bandh was called in protest against the police action on demonstrators, who were demanding the demolition of a mosque over its alleged illegal construction in Shimla's Sanjauli area. The protests on Wednesday had turned violent, leaving ten people, including six police personnel injured.
Shimla Municipal Commissioner Bhupender Kumar Attri said: "It is a welcome move on the part of one party." "We have received a representation requesting the unauthorised portion of the mosque be sealed till the case is decided. They have said that they would themselves demolish the structure if the decision of the case is against them," he said.
"The matter is sub-judice and pending in court. If one party is willing to not use the portion of a structure in question and offers to seal it, the authorities can act on it till the outcome of the pending case in the court of law. I am going through the contents of the memorandum," Attri added, as quoted by Indian Express.
'No Pressure On Us, Decision Taken For Peace In Shimla': Muslim Welfare Committee
The members of the welfare committee said that the Muslims of the locality were permanent residents of Himachal and called the memorandum a step to preserve brotherhood and harmony. "We have sought permission from the Shimla municipal commissioner to demolish the unauthorised part of the mosque situated in Sanjauli for maintaining peace and harmony in Shimla," Mufti Mohammad Shafi Kasmi said.
Responding to whether the decision was taken under pressure, the Imam of the mosque said: "There is no pressure on us. We have been staying here for decades. This decision has been taken as a Himachali. We want to stay in peace and brotherhood should prevail."
The move was welcomed by members of the Dev Bhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, who had called for protests against the alleged unauthorised construction at the mosque. "We welcome this initiative from the Muslim community and would be the first to embrace them for taking such a step in the larger interest," Vijay Sharma, a member of the Samiti, said.
The bandh was called by Shimla Beopar Mandal, urging shopkeepers to shut their shops till Thursday noon. Pro-Himachal Pradesh slogans were also raised by the protesters who had gathered at Mall Road.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, members of the Muslim community in Mandi demolished an unauthorised portion of a mosque themselves located at Jail road in the town. The mosque was consteucted on the land which belonged to the Public Works Department. The mosque management was served a notice by both PWD and Municipal Corporation in this regard.
'Govt Tried To Suppress Entire Matter': Himachal LoP Jairam Thakur
Commenting on the Sanjauli Mosque row, Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh assembly, Jairam Thakur said: "Himachal has been a peaceful state...After whatever happened in Shimla, I've never seen such an atmosphere in the state. This has been a failure of the government...The way the government has tried to suppress the entire matter, there has been anger among the people of the state...Water cannons and lathi charge were used and a lot of people were injured. I met the injured. This is a very unfortunate incident..."