Janjivan Bureau/ Shimla : Many protesters and cops were injured in mild lathi-chage at Sanjauli and have been taken to a hospital for treatment. Also, most of the schools in Shimla have held the students back in schools after the situation worsened in Sanjauli.
Protestors demanding the demolition of an illegal structure in a mosque in Shimla’s Sanjauli area were lathi-charged by security forces on Wednesday after they broke police barricades during a demonstration.
Hundreds of protestors gathered at the Sabzi Mandi Dhalli and marched towards Sanjauli to lodge their protest and broke the barricades erected near the Dhalli tunnel.
As the protestors, who had gathered on the call of Hindu groups, broke the second barricade near the mosque, police resorted to lathi-charge and used water cannons to disperse them.
ictures from the spot showed protestors with tricolors in their hands raising slogans like “Himachal Ne Thana Hai, Devbhoomi Ko Bachana Hai”, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, etc.
The police, earlier in the day, detained one person for protesting against the unauthorised mosque at Sanjauli.
The protester has been identified as Kamal Gautam who reached Sanjauli and started to protest. He is said to be a leader of Hindu outfit named Hindu Jagran Manch. He was detained from Sanjauli Chowk while he was on his way to Dhalli Tunnel. The Hindu outfits had called on the people to come to Dhalli from where they had planned to start their procession.
Over 1,000 police personnel along with Quick Response Team (QRT) have been deployed in Sanjauli area in view of the protest.
The step came after various Hindu outfits called on the people to come to Sanjauli on Wednesday to stage a massive protest against the unauthorised mosque in Sanjauli. Messages and videos of calling on the people to come to Sanjauli were also bring circulated on social media.
In order to avoid any communal tension and to maintain law and order, the district administration has banned holding any kind of protest and procession in Sanjauli and nearby areas from 7 am till 11. 59pm.
The Shimla district administration issued the prohibitory orders under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, that bar assembly of more than five persons without permission and carrying of lethal weapons and arms including lathis, daggers, sticks, spears, swords.
Some Hindu organisations had given a bandh call on Wednesday demanding demolition of the unauthorised construction in the mosque and registration of outsiders coming to the state.
Last Thursday, Hindu groups had staged massive protests at Chaura Maidan here in the vicinity of the Vidhan Sabha and Sanjauli to press for their demand.
“The prohibitory orders were issued due to prevailing law and order situation in the Sanjauli area and apprehension of breach of public peace and tranquillity,” District Magistrate of Shimla Anupam Kashyap said.
Public rally, procession without permission and demonstrations strikes including hunger strike, dharna, slogan shouting in public places causing obstruction to roads, highways, footpath and normal movement of traffic and carrying of any kind of inflammable objects to be burnt by any individual or group of persons at any public place, roads and places of worship/prayers are also prohibited, the order said.
SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said that Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023 has been implemented in the area.
