Tension Escalates in Himachal Pradesh Over Mosque Construction

The Himachal Pradesh assembly witnessed a heated exchange between members of the ruling party over alleged illegal construction in a mosque at Sanjauli, Shimla. State Minister Anirudh Singh and MLA Harish Janartha debated the issue, with calls for demolition of unauthorized structures to maintain communal harmony.

The Himachal Pradesh assembly witnessed a heated exchange on Wednesday between state minister Anirudh Singh and MLA Harish Janartha from the same party, over illegal constructions at a mosque in Sanjauli, Shimla.

Janartha argued there was no previous tension and noted the mosque was built before 1960, with illegal three-storey additions made in 2010 on Waqf Board land. He accused certain elements of exacerbating the issue.

Minister Singh countered by stating the number of Muslim hawkers, or Tehbazaris, was vastly underestimated, and demanded licenses be restricted to bona fide Himachalis. He also flagged concerns about individuals of Bangladeshi nationality and called for their verification.

Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh responded that the Municipal Corporation Commissioner's court would decide on the illegal construction case soon, urging both communities to maintain peace.

Meanwhile, BJP's Balbir Verma and local residents demanded urgent demolition of the unauthorized structures to safeguard communal harmony.

(With inputs from agencies.)