‘Himachal Ne Thaana Hai, Devbhoomi Ko Bachana Hai’: Why are Hindu groups protesting in Shimla?

The peaceful city of Shimla on Wednesday witnessed chaos after protests erupted over the alleged illegal construction inside a mosque in the Sanjauli area. Protestors clashed with police as they demanded the demolition of an illegal portion of a mosque in the area.

Chants of “Himachal Ne Thaana Hai, Devbhoomi Ko Bachana Hai” reverberated in the streets of Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla as protestors jumped over police barricades trying to make their way to the mosque.

The local police resorted to lathi-charge and water cannons to disperse the protestors.

Police detained some protesters as well, including Hindu Jagran Manch secretary Kamal Gautam, and erected the barricade near the mosque again but the protesters refused to leave and continued raising slogans against the administration.

The outbreak of the clash left students in Sanjauli, Dhalli and adjoining areas stranded in schools. Residents vented their anger at the administration for not ordering the schools to remain closed for the day despite being aware of the demonstration.

Why are they protesting?

The protest march was called by Hindu groups to object to the construction of extra floors in a mosque in Sanjauli.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has said that the case of alleged illegal construction is being heard by the local municipal court and urged protestors to wait till law takes its course.

Amid escalating tensions over the unauthorised construction in the Sanjauli area mosque and a bandh call sounded by Hindu outfits to press for the demolition of the disputed structure, Sanjauli and adjoining areas have been converted into a fortress with heavy police deployment.

The Shimla district administration has issued prohibitory orders under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, barring the assembly of five or more people and the carrying of lethal weapons and arms.