Sanjauli mosque row: Jairam Thakur demands arrest of AIMIM’s Shoaib Jamai over remarks

MANDI (Himachal Pradesh): Himachal Pradesh Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Jairam Thakur on Thursday demanded the arrest of AIMIM Delhi chief Shoaib Jamai for filming inside the alleged illegally constructed and sealed Sanjauli mosque.

He further criticised AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and his party, claiming that AIMIM is a party that is restricted to a particular community and is always making controversial statements.

“Owaisi is a party’s leader that is restricted to a community, it is his party that gives controversial statements. A party leader comes to Shimla and goes to a Masjid that is sealed since it is an alleged illegal construction, there he goes inside and does videography, and he says points to another building and claims that building is taller than the masjid, it is not about a taller building, it does not mean that building is an illegal construction”, Thakur said.

#WATCH | Mandi: Former Himachal Pradesh CM & LoP in state assembly Jairam Thakur says, “Owaisi is a party’s leader that is restricted to a community…It is his party that gives controversial statements. A party leader comes to Shima and goes to a Masjid that is sealed since it… pic.twitter.com/EPXyMvGHfm

— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2024

Earlier, the Sanjauli Mosque issue had once again flared up after AIMIM Delhi chief Shoaib Jamai visited the mosque and posted a video on social media, alleging discriminatory actions against the mosque in comparison to other illegal constructions in the area.

In his video, he questioned why the mosque had been specifically targeted, stating, “Will the bulldozer run on all, or was only the mosque singled out”? He also presented live footage, claiming to show evidence of the illegal structures surrounding the mosque.

In his video, Jamai said the court should decide whether the mosque is legal or illegal and announced his intention to file Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court, citing numerous illegal buildings in Shimla. According to Jamai, the law must apply equally to all.

Himachal LoP Jairam Thakur also demanded the arrest of the AIMIM leader. “I received information that an FIR has been registered against the said leader, but not only FIR should be registered for such an act, but the arrests should be made and strict action should be taken”, he added.

On Wednesday, the imam of the Sanjauli mosque had also slammed the AIMIM Delhi chief for disrupting the peaceful atmosphere of Shimla. The imam of the Sanjauli mosque, Sajid Alam, said, “We celebrate festivals and marriages together. Outsiders don’t understand the culture and harmony we share in this region. This situation arose because people from outside, with no knowledge of our way of living, came and caused trouble”. (ANI)