The court has ordered demolition of the illegally constructed floors of the Sanjauli Mosque in Shimla. On October 5, the Shimla Municipal Court ordered the demolition of the second, third and fourth floors of the mosque, citing unauthorized construction. A significant police presence was deployed around the mosque to maintain law and order throughout the demolition process.

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, addressed the issue, highlighting the voluntary cooperation on the part of the Muslim community. According to news agency ANI, he said: “The people of the mosque themselves said that if anything is illegal, we will demolish it, so our brothers from the Muslim community, the head of the mosque, the imam, they themselves want this (to be demolished) because it’s illegal and they want harmony. No government interference.”

#LOOK | Shimla: About the Sanjauli Mosque, Himachal Pradesh, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu says: “The people of the mosque themselves said that if something is illegal, we will demolish it, so our brothers from the Muslim community, the head of the mosque, the imam, they themselves want it … pic.twitter.com/d5MCnE6OJu

— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2024

Mohammad Latif, chairman of the Sanjauli Mosque Committee, confirmed that the demolition process has begun and the roof of the mosque has been removed after obtaining necessary permissions, news agency IANS reported. He said: “It will take two to three months to demolish the entire illegal structure.” He stressed that the decision to demolish it was made to preserve “mutual fraternity and social harmony.”

Permission for the demolition was granted on October 9 and the Shimla Municipal Court has given two months to the Sanjauli Mosque Committee to complete the demolition at its own expense.

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Scandal over demolition of Sanjauli mosque in Shimla

The controversy surrounding the Sanjauli mosque has been going on for several years. Local residents called for its demolition, leading to the Shimla Municipal Corporation’s first notice in 2011. Despite this, by 2018 the mosque expanded to a five-story building without obtaining the necessary permits. In recent months, the Sanjauli mosque committee sought permission from the Waqf Board, which claimed to be the owner of the land, to proceed with demolition. While the Waqf Board initially defended the legality of the construction, it failed to provide the necessary documentation to substantiate its claims, IANS reported.

The issue has also led to protests by Hindu organizations demanding the demolition of other allegedly illegal mosques in Himachal Pradesh. The issue was raised in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, where Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh expressed support for the demolition of the mosque.

According to IANS, the controversy over the Sanjauli mosque intensified following an incident in Shimla’s Malyana area where a Hindu man was allegedly attacked by six people who were reportedly seeking shelter at a nearby mosque. The incident sparked protests from Hindu groups, who reiterated their demand for the demolition of the mosque on grounds of illegal construction.

The next court hearing in this case is scheduled for December 21.