A court in Himachal Pradesh today ordered the demolition of three floors of a disputed mosque in Shimla. The Shimla Municipal Commissioner Court has given two months to the Masjid committee and Waqf Board to complete the demolition process of the Sanjauli mosque.

The conflict arose after several sections deemed the mosque illegal and subsequent protests by some Hindu organisations.

The next hearing is on December 21 regarding the two remaining floors (ground and first floor).

The lawyer representing the locals of Sanjauli raised the demand for the demolition of the mosque. “In 2011 the municipal commission (MC) gave the first notice to the Mosque Committee. How a five-storey building was built by 2018? No record was given to the MC despite them asking for it,” according to the lawyer.

“The entire mosque is illegal. Illegal activities are taking place there. Why was electricity and water not cut off despite this? The Waqf Board has 156 bighas of land in Sanjauli, excluding the illegal mosque land. Local residents of Sanjauli are also a party in this,” the lawyer said.

The court, however, refused to make locals a party in the case as a case was already going on between the Administration and the violator. The Commissioner said that the “matter is of illegal construction in which the Waqf Board is already a party, hence there was no need for a third party”.

“Even if we are not made a party, the mosque should be demolished,” the lawyer said.

The Sanjauli Mosque issue once again flared up after ten people were injured during a protest demanding the demolition of a portion of a mosque in Sanjauli on September 11.

Two days later, similar protests erupted in Mandi and water cannons had to be used to disperse protesters.

Hearing on Shimla’s Sanjauli Masjid dispute in Shimla MC Court, orders to demolish three floors of the mosque, 2 months time, next hearing on 21st December.