Shimla: Amid massive protests in Himachal Pradesh over the alleged illegal construction of the Sanjauli Mosque, intensifying political confrontations between BJP and Congress leaders, the Commissioner Court of Shimla Municipal Corporation will hear the matter on Saturday, September 7.
The hearing will be held inside Municipal Corporation Commissioner Bhupendra Atri's court. It is to be noted that as many as 44 hearings have been held in the case to date. A legal representative from the Waqf Board will plead in the Commissioner Court during the hearing, which is expected to be over by 2 pm.
Heavy Police force has been deployed on all roads leading to the mosque in Sanjauli market. This deployment of police equipped with modern weapons is a matter of shock for the people of Sanjauli as they have never witnessed such a tense atmosphere before.
Tight security arrangements have been ensured around the Commissioner Court for the hearing to be held on Saturday. The district administration is alert in this regard and has taken necessary precautions to avoid any untoward incident. The media, too, is on their heels and has reached Shimla to cover the hearing.
On Friday, September 6, opposition leader Jai Ram Thakur, from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanded immediate action against the mosque's alleged illegal construction. He said, 'This is a massive structure, and action should be taken immediately. If the action is not taken, public anger will not subside.'
Himachal Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh asserted that any illegal construction will be “demolished according to the law”. He expressed disappointment as to why the issue was overlooked for so long and said that whether it’s a temple or a mosque, what is illegal should be termed illegal.
The Waqf Board on Friday also took cognisance of the matter and took the entire mosque under its control. The board also stated that the floors of the mosque were constructed ‘illegally’.
Shimla Waqf Board state officer Qutubuddin said that the Imam posted in the mosque has also been taken down. This move came after massive protests were staged outside the mosque by members of the BJP, and multiple other Hindu organisations and locals demanding the demolition of the allegedly 'illegal' Masjid.
Former State General Secretary of Hindu Jagran Manch Kamal Gautam said that ministers of the state government have discussed this issue within the assembly and have demanded that the mosque be demolished.
Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu assured that no one will be allowed to disrupt the law and order situation in the state. "Himachal Pradesh is known for its harmony and the government will protect it at all costs," he added.
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