Hindu group offers free services to demolish unauthorised floors of Sanjauli mosque, submits memorandum to MC Commissioner

SHIMLA: In the Sanjauli mosque case in Himachal Pradesh’s capital Shimla, members of the Dev Bhoomi Hindu Sangharsh Samiti on Monday submitted a memorandum to the Municipal Corporation (MC) Commissioner, demanding immediate implementation of the High Court’s orders directing the demolition of the remaining two unauthorised floors of the mosque.

The organisation demanded that the demolition be carried out by December 29, in compliance with court directions. The group also offered to carry out the demolition free of cost if the municipal corporation or the mosque’s Muslim committee is unable or unwilling to execute the order.

After meeting the MC Commissioner, Madan Thakur, a member of the Dev Bhoomi Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, spoke to the media and said that the court orders have to be implemented.

“Today, we submitted this memorandum to the Commissioner in the presence of the media. We clearly stated that the High Court has ordered the demolition of the mosque’s upper floors, as per its directions. The court has given time till March 9 for the rest of the matter, and we will wait for that date. However, anything that must be demolished must be demolished now. We have placed this point before the Commissioner”, said Madan Thakur.

“We hope that the Commissioner and the government will perform their duties properly. We have also said that if the government and the Municipal Corporation are unable to carry out this work, then the Hindu Sangharsh Samiti will offer free service and carry out kar seva to help the government demolish the illegal structure”, he added.

Thakur further alleged selective enforcement of law, “The government will have to give some answers. The entire state and the country are watching. If lathi-charge can be done repeatedly on Sanatanis, then why are excuses being made again and again to demolish an illegal structure built for illegal occupants? This is a matter of shame for the entire system in Himachal Pradesh”.

Vijay Sharma, Convener of the Dev Bhoomi Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, said that the High Court’s directions should have been implemented without the need for any memorandum. “After the High Court’s directions, there should have been no need to submit a memorandum. Only 15 days are left, and the deadline of December 29 for demolishing the mosque is approaching. The Waqf Board should take a status report in this matter and make it public within a day or two”, he said.

“If the Municipal Corporation does not have labour and the Muslim committee does not have funds, then the volunteers of the Hindu Sangharsh Samiti are ready to do this work voluntarily and free of cost. Through the memorandum, we have conveyed this to the Municipal Corporation Commissioner. He has assured us that appropriate action will be taken at the right time,” he added.

The Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board has meanwhile moved the High Court, and the matter remains under judicial consideration. (ANI)