Amid prevailing tension in Shimla over the Sanjauli mosque issue, a Muslim welfare committee on Thursday offered to demolish the unauthorised part while members of the community themselves pulled down a wall of a mosque in government land in Mandi.
A delegation of the welfare committee during a representation to Shimla municipal commissioner Bhupendra Attri said Muslims living in the locality are permanent residents of Himachal Pradesh and it was taking the step to preserve harmony and brotherhood.
"We have sought permission from the Shimla municipal commissioner to demolish the unauthorised part of the mosque situated in Sanjauli," member of the welfare committee Mufti Mohammad Shafi Kasmi said.
The panel comprises the Imam of the mosque and members of the Waqf board and the mosque management committee.
The Imam of the mosque said, "There is no pressure on us, we have been living here for decades and this decision has been taken as a Himachali. We want to stay in peace and brotherhood should prevail."
Confirming the receipt of the representation, Attri said "We have received a representation requesting the unauthorised portion of the mosque be sealed till the case is decided. They have said that they would themselves demolish the structure if the decision of the case is against them."
In Mandi, members of the Muslim community themselves demolished an unauthorised portion of the mosque at Jail road in the town.
The construction was on the land which belonged to the Public Works Department. Both the PWD and the Municipal Corporation had served notice to the mosque management in this regard.
Meanwhile, Shimla police registered eight FIRs against more than 50 people involved in the protest held on September 5 and 11 at Sanjauli demanding demolition of the unauthorized portion of the mosque.
"Investigations are underway and the police is identifying the violators," SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi told PTI. He also confirmed that cases have been registered.
He said there are about 14 mosques in Shimla and security has been beefed up.
The protestors have been booked under sections 196 (1) - promoting enmity on basics of religion, 196(2) - offence at place of worship, 189 - unlawful assembly, 126(2) - wrongful restraint, 61(2) - criminal conspiracy, and assault (132), spreading false information on religion - 353 (2), disobeying orders of public servants (223), and assaulting public servant (132) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the police said.
At least 10 people including six police personnel and four protestors were injured after the police baton charged and used water cannot when the agitators broke the barricades and reached the vicinity of the mosque.
Members of the Dev Bhoomi Sangarsh Committee, which had given the protest call against the unauthorised construction in the mosque, welcomed the move of the Muslim welfare committee.
"We welcome the move of the Muslim community and would be the first to hug them for taking this initiative in the larger interest," member of the samiti Vijay Sharma said.
Amid all these developments, Himachal Pradesh minister Anirudh Singh claimed that former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur gave Rs 2 lakh for construction of a portion of the Sanjauli mosque during his tenure and the BJP was now trying to disturb peace in the state.
However, Thakur termed it as baseless and said the Congress minister is telling lies to hide his failure and is changing his statement under the pressure from the Congress high command.
Addressing mediapersons in Shimla along with public works minister Vikramaditya Singh, the rural development and Panchayati Raj minister said the portion of the mosque was constructed during the COVID times when the BJP was in power and even the mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation was from the party.
Both the ministers also hailed the Muslim welfare committee for coming forward and offering to demolish the unauthorised construction themselves.
Videos of the mosque in Mandi being demolished by the members of the Muslim community have gone viral on Internet.
"The PWD officials had informed us that a wall of the mosque was in PWD land and we were served notice. So we decided to demolish the wall," said Iqbal Ali, member of the mosque committee.
"Last October, when we applied for the map for construction, we were not aware that a no-objection certificate was also needed from the PWD and when the department objected we decided to demolish the encroachment," he said, adding "we want brotherhood to prevail and would abide by the norms."
Meanwhile, members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal demanded that all illegal structures belonging to the Muslim community be demolished besides encroachments on government land across the state.
The VHP also gave a call for a two-hour bandh on Friday.
On Thursday, shops and business establishments remained closed during a three-hour bandh in the Himachal Pradesh capital.
The call was given by Beopar mandal associated with the BJP against the police action on demonstrators demanding demolition of the mosque's unauthorised portion.
Hindu organisations demanding the demolition of the disputed structure in the mosque and the registration of outsiders coming to the state had given the Sanjauli bandh call on Wednesday.
