Muslim body to challenge Shimla court’s demolition order of mosque
Shimla: The All Himachal Muslim’s Organisation (AHMO) has announced to challenge an order of Bharatiya Janata Party government to demolish the Sanjauli mosque in Himachal Pradesh state.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the All Himachal Muslim’s Organisation said the land belongs to the Waqf Board and the contentious three storeys of the 125-year-old mosque is legal and property of Waqaf in Shimla city.
The court had on October 5 ordered the demolition of three storeys of the five-storey Sanjauli mosque. It gave two months to the Waqf Board and the president of the mosque committee to execute the orders.
The AHMO, while expressing concern over rights infringements, said that the mosque’s three storeys are not illegal and highlighted the site’s cultural and historical significance.
“A meeting of the organisation held in Shimla city to review the order of the Shimla Municipal Commissioner’s court unanimously concluded that the persons who gave undertaking to demolish the unauthorised storeys of the mosque had no authority to make any such submission and the orders passed by the MC Court are contrary to the facts,” said AHMO state spokesperson Nazakat Ali Hashmi said.
He said the land belongs to the Waqf Board. The mosque is 125 years old and the contentious storeys are not illegal, he added. Hashmi said even though the approval of maps is lying with the authorities, the MC Court ordered the demolition of the storeys.
“The matter regarding curbing of our rights, unsuccessful attempts to damage our religious places and hurting our sentiments would be taken to the Supreme Court,” he added.
Similar actions against Muslims by the BJP government are going on at several other places in the state.
