What seemed to have been a small scuffle between a local resident and some members of the Muslim community over the added storeys of a years-old mosque in Shimla has blown into a larger issue, with Hindu right-wing groups taking the matter to the streets after a Congress minister presented the issue of illegal construction in the Himachal Assembly.
Shimla was paralysed by violent clashes between protesters and police on Wednesday, September 11, as protesters demanded the demolition of allegedly unauthorised floors added to a mosque in the city’s Sanjauli area.
The situation escalated as protesters clashed with police, resulting in injuries on both sides. The police responded with a lathi charge after protesters breached barricades set up to secure the mosque area.
The intense confrontation caused widespread disruption throughout Shimla. Schools kept students indoors, and tourists were advised to stay within their hotels as tensions mounted. Despite police assertions that they had managed to control the situation, the city remained on high alert throughout the day.
The demonstration was spearheaded by Hindu organisations, including the Hindu Jagran March, which the Congress party alleges is aligned with the BJP. In the days leading up to the protest, these groups had mobilised a significant campaign urging citizens to gather in Sanjauli to demand action against the mosque.
The protesters claimed the mosque, which had originally been a single-storey structure, had been illegally expanded with additional floors without proper municipal approval. They also targeted Muslim immigrants, accusing them of both job-taking and stoking communal tensions.
In response to the escalating unrest, the local administration invoked prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. This regulation prohibits the assembly of more than five people without permission and the possession of weapons, including lathis, daggers, and swords. However, the demonstrators defied these orders, exacerbating the conflict.
The mosque in question has been situated in Sanjauli for years. Originally a single-storey building, it has reportedly been expanded to a multi-storey structure. The legality of these additional floors is currently under review by local municipal authorities.
The issue gained traction after Congress Minister Anirudh Singh raised it in the state assembly last week. Singh's remarks followed a reported altercation between a local resident and members of the Muslim community, which heightened communal tensions in his constituency.
Local anger directed at the mosque intensified after it was suggested that immigrants and individuals involved in the earlier scuffle were residing there. Hindu groups capitalised on this sentiment, initially staging a small protest on September 5 before organising a larger demonstration on September 11.
In the aftermath of the clashes, Himachal Pradesh’s Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh assured that the state government had taken note of the alleged illegal construction at the mosque.
Singh reiterated that the matter was under review by the municipal commissioner and that legal action would be taken if the additional floors were deemed illegal. He emphasised the need for peace and adherence to the rule of law, stating that the Congress government was committed to following legal procedures rather than responding to sentiments.
Addressing concerns about the influx of immigrants, Singh mentioned the possibility of forming a committee to investigate the issue. This move, however, was not without controversy.
Former BJP Chief Minister Jairam Thakur criticised the handling of the situation, accusing the state government of downplaying the severity of the unrest. Thakur contended that the government’s delay in addressing the alleged illegal construction was influenced by political pressure.
In contrast, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s media adviser, Naresh Chauhan, dismissed claims that religious animosities drove the unrest. Chauhan insisted that the situation was a matter of law and order and affirmed that any necessary actions regarding unauthorised constructions would be pursued.