Situation under control in Shimla after protesters clash with police
The situation in Shimla is under control now after the protesters demanding the demolition of an illegal structure in Shimla's Sanjauli area were lathi-charged by security forces on Wednesday after they broke police barricades.
Many protesters and cops were injured in mild lathi-chage at Sanjauli and were taken to hospital.
Also, most of the schools in Shimla held the students back after the situation worsened in Sanjauli.
Hundreds of protestors gathered at the Sabzi Mandi in Dhalli and marched towards Sanjauli to lodge their protest and broke the barricades erected near the Dhalli tunnel.
As the protesters who had gathered on the call of Hindu groups broke the second barricade near the mosque, police resorted to lathi-charge and used water cannons to disperse them.
Pictures from the spot showed protesters with Tricolours in their hands raising slogans like "Himachal Ne Thana Hai, Devbhoomi Ko Bachana Hai", "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", etc.
The police, earlier in the day, detained one person for protesting against the unauthorised mosque at Sanjauli.
The protester has been identified as Kamal Gautam who reached Sanjauli and started to protest. He is said to be a leader of Hindu outfit named Hindu Jagran Manch. He was detained from Sanjauli Chowk while he was on his way to Dhalli Tunnel. The Hindu outfits had called on the people to come to Dhalli from where they had planned to start their procession.
Over 1,000 police personnel along with Quick Response Team (QRT) were deployed in Sanjauli area in view of the protest.
The step came after various Hindu outfits called on the people to come to Sanjauli on Wednesday to stage a massive protest against the unauthorised mosque in Sanjauli. Messages and videos of calling on the people to come to Sanjauli were also bring circulated on social media.
In order to avoid any communal tension and to maintain law and order, the district administration had banned holding any kind of protest and procession in Sanjauli and nearby areas from 7 am till 11. 59 pm.
