Demolition of 3 floors of disputed Himachal Pradesh mosque begins

The works to demolish the three storeys of the disputed Sanjauli mosque in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla by the mosque committee will begin from Monday, following a court’s order.
The Shimla Municipal Commissioner (MC) court had directed the demolition of three storeys of the mosque on October 5. The court had told the Sanjauli Mosque Committee to complete the demolition in two months.
Sanjauli Mosque Committee chief Mohammad Latif Negi said that the committee had sought permission from the Waqf Board for the demolition and the board had given a no objection certificate. The masjid committee members will bear the cost of demolishing the mosque.
The conflict came under spotlight after several groups declared that the mosque was illegal, which was followed by protests from certain Hindu organisations.
Tensions surrounding the Sanjauli Mosque in Shimla reignited on September 11, when a protest demanding the demolition of part of the mosque turned violent, in which ten people were injured.
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.