New Delhi. A controversy has erupted these days over a mosque located in Sanjauli, Himachal Pradesh’s capital Shimla. It is being said that a five-storey building was constructed in the mosque without getting the map passed and without permission for construction. Now the people of the Hindu organization are adamant on the demand to demolish the mosque. Not only this, Panchayati Raj Minister Aniruddh Singh in the Congress government of the state also raised this issue in the assembly. He said that this is not a religious matter but a matter related to illegal construction. He also supported the demolition of the mosque.
The minister said that this land belongs to the Himachal Pradesh government and illegal construction on government land should be demolished. Meanwhile, Shimla Congress MLA Harish says that this dispute has started due to a fight between two groups and it is being blown out of proportion by unnecessarily giving it a communal colour. The case of illegal construction in the mosque is pending in the court and the hearing in this case is to be held on 7 September. This case is going on in the court since 2009 and the Waqf Board is fighting this case. Meanwhile, the Imam of the mosque, Shahzad, says that it was constructed before 1947.
File photo of people protesting outside the mosque
On the other hand, the local people say that earlier there was a small mosque here which was a mud mosque and only two families of a particular community lived here, but in a few years a large number of outsiders settled here. These outsiders built a multi-storey mosque here without permission. At the time of Namaaz, there is such a crowd of people here that it becomes difficult for the local people to even pass through. Recently, Hanuman Chalisa was recited outside the mosque during a demonstration by a Hindu organization. After this, on Saturday, people of a particular community beat up a local citizen. After this, the police have also arrested 6 people.
