Shimla police on Friday released a video of stone pelting during a protest on Wednesday over the alleged illegal construction of a mosque in Sanjauli. So far, 8 FIRs have been registered in the protests in Shimla. 6 policemen were injured in the protest, including a woman policeman who suffered a spinal cord fracture and is in critical condition.
Earlier on Wednesday, protesters removed the first layer of barricading and clashed with security forces while entering the Dhali Tunnel East Portal during their protest march. Police personnel used water cannon and resorted to lathicharge to disperse the protesters who were moving towards Sanjauli area of Shimla.
#WATCH Himachal Pradesh Shimla Police has released the stone pelting video of the Shimla protest (September 11). 8 FIRs have been registered so far. 6 policemen, including a woman Police personnel who had vertebrae fractures and is in serious condition, were injured in the… pic.twitter.com/kihTo1DzgE
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2024
Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh on Thursday said the Himachal government will work as per the law.
Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh said, “There was a massive protest in Sanjauli and some policemen were also injured in it, they are in hospital and some protesters were also injured in it.”
He further said that the government is sympathetic towards the protesters.
The Himachal Pradesh minister said, “We had said earlier also that our sympathies are with them, but the law will complete its process and is doing so, the government works as per the law.”
He further said that members of the mosque committee had met Municipal Commissioner Bhupendra Kumar Atri and offered to demolish any illegal portion of the mosque themselves if the court orders.
Vikramaditya Singh said that “The big thing is that the officials of the mosque committee met the commissioner today and they have said that to maintain communal harmony, we are ready to seal this place, for this they have given a written letter to the Municipal Corporation Commissioner, the Municipal Corporation Commissioner will take action on this, it will be sealed, and they have also said that whatever decision comes in the commissioner’s court, they will respect that too.”
Earlier on Thursday, Imam of Sanjauli Mosque Shaizad Alam submitted an application to the Shimla Municipal Commissioner and said that they would demolish the alleged illegal construction of a mosque in Sanjauli to maintain harmony.
Shaizad said, “We gave this application because all the people of Himachal Pradesh have been living in harmony for decades. We want to live in harmony and love in the future too. This should not be given a political colour. That is why we gave this application that we will demolish that part ourselves. We are not doing this under any pressure, we are only under pressure to maintain harmony.”
Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya alleged that some people were present at the protest to further instigate the matter. Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allowing the structure to come up at the site, he said that three floors of the structure were built during Covid, when Jairam Thakur was the chief minister of the state.
