Shimla court orders demolition of 3 floors of Sanjauli mosque

A court in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla directed the demolition of the three storeys of the disputed mosque in the city. The Shimla Municipal Commissioner (MC) court allowed two months for the Sanjauli Mosque Committee to conclude the demolition.
The conflict came under the spotlight after various entities declared that the mosque was illegal, which was followed by protests from certain Hindu organisations.
The court has also fixed the next date of hearing on December 21.
The court dismissed the application of the local residents to make them a party in the ongoing petition related to the mosque. The masjid committee members will bear the cost of demolishing the mosque.
Advocate BS Thakur, representing the Muslim Waqf Board, stated, “The court has accepted the submission of the mosque committee to demolish the structure that is standing beyond the permissible limit at the side of the mosque.”
He added that the court granted the committee members two months to carry out the demolition at their own expense. Thakur emphasised, “Today’s decision was an interim order. The final decision is yet to come.” The next hearing is scheduled for December 21.
Tensions surrounding the Sanjauli Mosque in Shimla reignited on September 11, when a protest demanding the demolition of part of the mosque turned violent, leaving ten people injured.
Just two days later, similar protests broke out in Mandi, where authorities were forced to use water cannons to disperse the crowd. The protestors echoed the demands made in Sanjauli, adding to the growing pressure on local officials to take swift action.