Sanjauli Mosque dispute heats up in Shimla; decision taken to suspend Friday prayers

Shimla (The Uttam Hindu): The controversy surrounding the Sanjauli Mosque in Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, continues to deepen. After the mosque was declared illegal, the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti has been staging a sit-in protest in Sanjauli for the past 10 days. The committee announced on Thursday that no one will be allowed to offer prayers at the disputed mosque on Friday.

On Thursday, committee members also performed a weapons worship ceremony at the protest site. They stated that the court had declared the mosque structure illegal and ordered its demolition, and therefore, offering prayers there would violate the court's orders. The committee appealed to the Muslim community not to go to the site on Friday to maintain communal harmony.

Vijay Sharma, co-convener of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, said they are awaiting a meeting with the administration on November 29. He said, "If the meeting doesn't yield positive results, the movement will be intensified. It is unfortunate that namaz is still being offered at the structure when it has been declared illegal."

Recently, the Shimla District Court upheld the Municipal Commissioner's decision, which declared the entire structure of the Sanjauli Mosque illegal and ordered its demolition. Following this, the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti launched a protest on November 21st, demanding the mosque's sealing, power and water supply cuts, and action.