Shimla mosque dispute: Municipal Commissioner orders demolition of three unauthorised floors of Sanjauli mosque 

Shimla Municipal Commissioner on October 5 ordered demolition of three unauthorised floors of the disputed Sanjauli mosque in Shimla. 

The move follows a Shimla district court ordering the demolition of unauthorised construction of the mosque in Sanjauli, following a legal battle regarding building violations raised by residents. 

BS Thakur, the lawyer representing the Waqf Board, confirmed that the court has mandated the mosque committee to dismantle the top three floors at their own expense within a two-month timeframe. Thakur stated, “In due course, it will be decided about the rest of the portion of the building. The next date of hearing is December 21.”  

The mosque committee has provided an undertaking to comply with the demolition order. 

Earlier, the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board submitted in a Shimla court that the mosque in Sanjauli Colony belongs on its land, but it has no idea “who constructed additional four floors”.  

In Sanjauli, the locals have been protesting against the construction of what they call an illegal mosque, and have demanded the demolition of the structure. The matter, sub-judice for the last 14 years, flared up into mass protests after a businessman was allegedly attacked by some Muslim youths during a fight in the nearby Malyana area.  

The incident was also highlighted by the state assembly by Himachal Pradesh’s Minister of Rural Development Anirudh Singh, who alleged that tension was rising in some areas due to rapid construction by illegal migrants who could be Rohingya and people from Bangladesh.   

Singh also demanded an investigation into the construction of Shimla’s Sanjauli Masjid. He highlighted the alleged illegal construction of the mosque had led to tensions in the area. The minister questioned if permission was taken from the administration before opening the mosque.