Shops remained shut on Thursday in Shimla, a day after Hindu outfits staged a protest against the alleged illegal construction of a mosque in the Sanjauli area of the city. The protestors tried to reach the mosque site by breaking police barricades after which police resorted to lathi charge and the use of water cannons to disperse the crowd.
On Thursday, the Shimla Beopar Mandal gave a call for bandh after which shops remained closed in the famous tourist hill city. Members of the traders’ union also took out a protest march condemning police action against the demonstrators.
The Protestors had gathered on the call of some Hindu groups at the Sabzi Mandi Dhalli and marched towards Sanjauli market, raising slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Hindu Ekta Zindabad”. They defied prohibitory orders and ignored warnings by the administration.
VIDEO | Sanjauli mosque row: Shops remain closed in Shimla as the Shimla Beopar Mandal has called for a bandh today.#ShimlaNews #ShimlaProtests #Sanjaulimosque
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/ZoAwfpOqNs
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 12, 2024
The agitators broke a barricade erected near the Dhalli tunnel while another crowd gathered at Sanjauli Chowk. As they broke a second barricade near the mosque, police baton charged and used water cannons to disperse them.
Some protestors were detained by the police including Hindu Jagran Manch secretary Kamal Gautam
VIDEO | Sanjauli mosque row: Members of Shimla Beopar Mandal take out a protest march during the bandh called by the organisation in the hill city today.#ShimlaNews #ShimlaProtests #Sanjaulimosque
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/tngllLhboQ
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 12, 2024
Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh said that the government was seriously concerned over the escalation of the situation. He also said that the government was keeping a close watch on all the developments.
“We are in touch with the central leadership and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and myself have talked to party president Mallikarjun Kharge and party in-charge Rajiv Shukla and they are also concerned that there was no deterioration in the law and order situation,” he said.