Barricades broken, water cannon used as protests take ugly turn

Shimla: The calm and tranquility of Shimla turned into turmoil on Wednesday as hundreds of protesters defied the prohibitory orders at Sanjauli on the call given by Hindu organisations demanding the demolition of an ‘illegal’ five-storey mosque.

The mosque has been targeted by Hindu organisations since August 31, when youths from the minority community assaulted a local trader with sharp weapons.

The accused, when chased by the rival group, subsequently took refuge in the mosque.

The case regarding the mosque and its unauthorised construction has been pending in the court of Shimla Municipal Commissioner since 2010.

Last hearing was held on August 7 but no orders were passed, only the next date was fixed for October 5.

Since then, the tensions have been escalating in the area.

On Wednesday, it boiled over when several citizens and activists of Hindu organisations, particularly from the Civil Society Devbhoomi Sangathan, joined the protests displaying the tri-colour in their hands.

They kept reciting Hanuman Chalisa and other scriptures with a blend of pro-Hindu slogans like “Jai Shri Ram” and “Hindu ekta zindabad”.

When the situation took an ugly turn, the police resorted to lathi charge and used water cannons to stop the angry protesters marching towards the mosque area even as they broke the barricading.

Reports said several people from other districts of the state had also reached Sanjauli, some during the night, to be part of the protest alleging that the state government was unwilling to take action since it had been proven that the structure was illegal.

Initially the protesters, knowing that Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap, had imposed prohibitory orders under the Section 163 of the Indian Civil Security Code, assembled near Dhalli Subzi Mandi on the other side of Sanjauli

tunnel but later they decided to march to Sanjauli, even removing the first layer of barricading.

They clashed with the security forces while entering the Dhalli Tunnel East portal during their protest march.

“They are trying to suppress the voice of ‘Sanatan’ and shield those who had raised the illegal structure on the pretext of this being a mosque,” said Kamal Kant, one of the Hindu Ekta Manch activists.

Superintendent of police Sanjiv Gandhi, who was present at the spot, said some miscreants in the crowd started pelting stones at the police.

Over a dozen policemen, including women constables, were injured in the stone pelting.

Similarly, several women and youths were injured in the lathicharge.