Shimla police release CCTV of anti-mosque protestors pelting stones; 6 cops injured, 8 FIRs registered

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 13 (ANI): Shimla police on Friday released the stone pelting video of Wednesday’s protest held in Sanjauli over the alleged illegal construction of a mosque. protest in Shimla, 8 FIRs have been registered so far. 6 policemen were injured in the protest including a woman police who had vertebrae fractures and is in a serious condition.

Earlier on Wednesday, protestors removed the first layer of barricading and clashed with the security forces while entering the Dhalli Tunnel East portal during their protest march. Police personnel used water cannons and resorted to lathi-charge to disperse protestors heading towards the Sanjauli area of Shimla.

Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh Minister Vikramaditya Singh asserted on Thursday that the Himachal government will work according to the law.

“There was a protest in Sanjauli, it happened on a large scale and some police personnel were also injured in it, they are in the hospital and some protesters were also injured in it,” Himachal Minister Vikramaditya Singh said.

He further said that the government sympathies with the protestors.

“We had said earlier also that our sympathies are with them, but the law will complete its process and is doing so, the government works according to the law,” the Himachal Pradesh Minister added.

He further informed that members of the Mosque committee had met Municipal Commissioner Bhupender Kumar Attri and offered to demolish any illegal part of the mosque themselves if the court orders so.

“A big development has happened that the office bearers of the mosque committee met the commissioner today and they have said that to maintain communal harmony, we are ready to seal this place, for this, they have given a written letter to the Municipal Commissioner, the Municipal Commissioner will take action on it, it will be sealed; and they have also said that whatever decision comes up in the commissioner’s court, they will respect that too.” Vikramaditya Singh added.

Earlier on Thursday, Shaizad Alam, Imam, Sanjauli Mosque gave an application to the Municipal Commissioner of Shimla and said that they will demolish the alleged illegal construction of a mosque in Sanjauli to maintain harmony.

“We gave this application because…all the people of Himachal Pradesh have been living in harmony for decades. We want to stay in harmony and love in the future as well. It shouldn’t be given a political angle… so we gave this application that we will demolish that part ourselves…we are not doing it under any pressure, we have only pressure that is to maintain the harmony,” Shaizad said.

so accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of allowing this structure to build on that spot, saying that the three floors of this structure were built during COVID, when Jairam Thakur was the Chief Minister of the state.