Himachal: Hindu outfits clash with police in Kullu over mosque demolition demand

As protests demanding the demolition of allegedly illegally constructed mosques rage on in Himachal Pradesh, a Muslim organisation said there were no illegal mosques in the state but a delay in the approval of maps in government records was causing a problem.

Hindu outfits which took out a yatra in Kullu demanding the demolition of a mosque were involved in a scuffle with the police on Monday. Amid tight security, members of the Hindu Dharam Jagaran Yatra marched from the Hanuman temple to Akhara mosque chanting the Hanuman Chalisa.

Protesters including women gathered in large numbers, carrying placards and saffron flags bearing the 'jai Shri Ram' slogan as they called for the demolition of the mosque in Kullu. Musicians playing local instruments and women in traditional costumes dancing to Kullu folk music led the yatra.

Besides calling for the demolition of the mosque, the protesters also demanded the scrapping of the waqf board. They said if the Kullu mosque had been authorised, the administration should show relevant documents to the leaders of the Hindu outfits.

The demand for the demolition of "illegally" constructed mosques began after a scuffle between a Muslim barber and a Hindu businessman in the Malyana suburb of Shimla on 30 August, which turned into a communal issue.

Hindu groups have been demanding the demolition of mosques they say are unauthorised, and are calling for the identification of "outsiders" coming into the state.

Meanwhile, Muslim Welfare Committee, Mandi president Naheem Ahmed told PTI on Monday: "No mosque in Himachal Pradesh is illegal but there has been a delay in getting the maps approved and other related processes. We would ourselves remove the structures if found illegal."

He said a meeting of representatives of the Muslim community was held in the Balh area of Mandi on Sunday. It was decided that a state-level committee of the minority community would be constituted and they would meet the chief minister to apprise him of the prevailing situation, Ahmed said.

He said Muslim leaders were of the view that some people are spreading hatred and such practices should be curbed. Every person coming from outside irrespective of their religion should be checked, he added.

On Sunday, Kullu district authorities said the mosque at Akhara bazaar was not illegal. There was a some discrepancy between the area of the mosque as show in government records and the actual area covered by it, district authorities said, adding that the case for its regularisation was pending with the town and country planning department. The total area of the mosque is 980 sq. m, and a deviation of around 150 sq. m was found, they said.

The Jama Masjid in Kullu is a pre-Independence structure and finds entry in the gazette notification dated 15 August 1970 of the state government.

On 11 September, 10 people were injured during a protest demanding the demolition of a portion of a mosque in the Sanjauli area of Shimla. Two days later, similar protests erupted in Mandi and water cannons had to be used to disperse protesters.

The residents of Kasumpti, Shimla also submitted a memorandum to demolish a mosque in the Kasumpti area. Residents of Sunni and other areas in the state have also made similar demands.