Shimla Court Orders Demolition Of 3 Floors Of Disputed Mosque

A court in Himachal Pradesh today ordered the demolition of three floors of a disputed mosque in Shimla. The Shimla Municipal Commissioner Court has given two months to the Masjid committee and Waqf Board to complete the demolition process of the Sanjauli mosque.

The conflict arose after several sections deemed the mosque illegal and subsequent protests by some Hindu organisations.

The next hearing is on December 21 regarding the two remaining floors (ground and first floor).

The lawyer representing the locals of Sanjauli raised the demand for the demolition of the mosque. “In 2011 the municipal commission (MC) gave the first notice to the Mosque Committee. How a five-storey building was built by 2018? No record was given to the MC despite them asking for it,” according to the lawyer.

“The entire mosque is illegal. Illegal activities are taking place there. Why was electricity and water not cut off despite this? The Waqf Board has 156 bighas of land in Sanjauli, excluding the illegal mosque land. Local residents of Sanjauli are also a party in this,” the lawyer said.