In a new turn of development, at least 50 people, including members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), have been booked in eight cases registered in connection with a violent protest last week in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla, against an alleged illegal construction of a mosque, the Indian Express reported on Monday, September 16.
In the last two weeks, radical Hindutva outfits have been demanding the demolition of the disputed structure in the Sanjauli mosque. On September 11, the agitated Hindu residents provoked by right-wing organisations and BJP workers clashed with security personnel, breaking barricades and pelting stones.
To curb the violent protests, the police used water cannons and batons to disperse the crowd, resulting in injuries to about 10 people including police officers and women officers.
On September 13, Shimla police released CCTV footage capturing the moment agitated protesters threw stones at police during a demonstration. The released video shows a huge mob violently resorting to stone pelting after the intensity of the confrontation between them and law enforcement.
According to the reports, the protesters have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) including promoting enmity based on religion, offence at a place of worship, unlawful assembly, wrongful restraint, criminal conspiracy and assault, spreading misinformation about religion, disobeying orders of public servants, and assaulting a public servant.
Amid escalating tensions, a Muslim welfare committee, comprising the Ima of the mosque and member of the Waqf board on Thursday urged the municipal commissioner to seal the unauthorised portion and also offered to demolish it in accordance with a court order.
A delegation of the committee requested a representation to Shimla Municipal Commissioner Bhupendra Attri and said Muslims living in the locality are permanent residents of Himachal Pradesh and it was taking the step to preserve harmony and brotherhood.
The case of unauthorised or illegal construction of some floors in the mosque is being heard by the court of the municipal corporation and the next hearing was fixed on October 5.
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