Himachal mosque row: Waqf Board go ahead for demolition of three storeys

The Waqf Board has granted permission to demolish three 'unauthorised' storeys of the Sanjauli mosque, which is at the centre of protests by Hindu outfits and others, and work will start soon, according to the mosque's managing committee president Muhammad Latif.

After receiving the 5 October order of the municipal commissioner court directing the board and president of Sanjauli mosque committee to demolish three storeys of the five-storey disputed structure, the same was communicated to the Waqf Board and orders have been received to go ahead, Latif told reporters in Shimla on Monday.

According to the MC court order, the board and the president of the mosque committee have to demolish the unauthorised portion of the mosque in two months at their own expense.

"The Waqf Board has granted permission and allowed us to go ahead. At present, talks are going on with the labourers and the work to open the roof is expected to start soon," Latif said.

"Funding is the main issue as neither the public nor the government will give money to demolish the structure and the mosque committee has to bear the expenses from its limited resources", he said.

The demolition work will start as soon as the no objection certificate from authorities is received, said Latif, who was part of the delegation which submitted the representation offering to demolish the allegedly unauthorised floors of the mosque on 12 September, a day after 10 people were injured during a protest demanding demolition of a portion of the mosque in the Sanjauli area.

Welcoming the move by the Sanjauli mosque committee to start the process of demolition of the unauthorised stories, Himachal public works minister Vikramaditya Singh said, "It is a good gesture on the part of the mosque committee to abide by the decision of the municipal commissioner's court and voluntarily pull down the unauthorised portions."

The move would help maintain social harmony and show the state in a good light, which is essential to attract tourists as tourism is the mainstay of the state's economy, he told reporters in Shimla.

"The government is responsible to 70 lakh people to maintain social harmony and ensure that no activity which disturbs social harmony is allowed," he said, adding that the move of the mosque committee was a significant step in this direction.

Asked about the announcement by the All Himachal Muslims Organisation (AHMO) to challenge the order in the court of appellate authority and take the matter to the Supreme Court, Latif said, "We cannot stop anybody from going to court, but we have taken a big decision to offer to demolish the mosque to ensure peace and brotherhood in the state and we stand by our stance."

Earlier, AHMO state spokesperson Nazakat Ali Hashmi had said the persons who gave the representation had no authority to make any such submission and the orders passed by the MC court were contrary to facts.

He had maintained that the land belonged to the Waqf Board, the mosque is 125 years old, and the storeys are not illegal. The approval of maps is pending with the authorities but the MC court ordered demolition, he said.