Shimla mosque dispute: Protestors break barricades, clash with police

Shimla: 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.

Raising slogans of "Jai Shri Ram" and "Hindu Ekta Zindabad", 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.

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 issued prohibitory orders under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, barring the assembly of more than five people and the carrying of lethal weapons and arms.

Some Hindu organisations had given a call for Sanjauli bandh on Wednesday, demanding the demolition of the unauthorised disputed structure and the registration of outsiders coming to the state.