Sangharsh samiti announces statewide protest against mosque today

Sitting on a hunger strike outside the police station in Sanjauli for the past three days, members of Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti have decided to stage a statewide protest against the mosque along with a massive protest in Sanjauli on Friday.

The members are protesting against the registration of FIR against six of its members for obstructing Muslims while they were on their way to offer prayers in the mosque. The samiti members have demanded sealing of the mosque that has been declared illegal first by the Shimla Municipal Corporation Commissioner’s Court and then by the district court and ordered its demolition. During the proposed protest, they will demand that the FIR registered against its members be quashed and the electricity and water supply connections of the mosque disconnected.

The samiti members have warned that they would not let Muslims offer prayers in the mosque this Friday. They have appealed to the people not to send their children to schools as they could face inconvenience due to the protest.

Co-convener of the samiti Vijay Sharma said that the dispute began when several persons assaulted locals and took shelter in the mosque. He said that when some of samiti’s members tried to stop the persons from going to the mosque last week, they were booked for disrupting communal harmony which is unfortunate and unacceptable.

He said that despite the structure being declared illegal no action is being taken by the authorities to demolish it and people continue to visit the mosque to offer prayers.