Tension in Sanjauli as activists prevent Friday prayers, 6 booked

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 16

Six individuals, including four women linked to the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, have been booked for allegedly preventing people from offering prayers at a mosque in Sanjauli, which has been declared illegal by the court. A video of the incident, widely circulated on social media, shows the group confronting Muslim worshippers and demanding their identification documents.

According to officials, the confrontation occurred on Friday when several people were heading towards the mosque for prayers. The accused reportedly stopped them midway, raised slogans and insisted they would not allow prayers to be offered at the site. The police said the action amounted to disturbing communal harmony and creating a law-and-order issue.

Following the incident, a case was registered on Saturday, and further investigation is underway. Authorities noted that similar disruptions have been reported earlier, with some local residents attempting to stop “outsiders” from visiting the mosque.

The Sanjauli mosque, a multi-storey structure, has been at the centre of controversy for over a year. It first drew widespread attention after a clash in the nearby Malyana area triggered demands for its demolition. In October 2024, the Commissioner’s Court declared the top three floors of the mosque illegal and directed the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board and the Sanjauli Mosque Committee to demolish them within two months.

In May 2025, the court went a step further, declaring the remaining two floors illegal and ordering the entire structure to be razed. The Waqf Board and the mosque committee challenged this ruling in the district court, but in October 2025, the court upheld the demolition order. The committee has since announced its intention to move the High Court against the decision.