Amid intensifed protests over the Shimla mosque dispute case, fresh reports came in that the shops in the famous Mall Road will be closed for one hour in support of the protest. Notably, the shops will be closed daily from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm.
Massive protests erupt in Shimla
Earlier in the day, massive protests erupted in Shimla, demanding the demolition of an illegal portion of a mosque in Sanjauli area, During the agitation, the protesters clashed with security personnel and broke the barricades and pelted stones as police used water cannons and baton-charged to disperse them.
Raising slogans of "Jai Shri Ram" and "Hindu Ekta Zindabad", hundreds of protestors gathered at the Sabzi Mandi Dhalli and marched towards Sanjauli, defying prohibitory orders and ignoring warnings by the administration to lodge their protest and broke barricades erected near the Dhalli tunnel.
Protesters break barricade near mosque
As the protestors gathered on the call of some Hindu groups entered Sanjauli and broke a second barricade near the mosque, police resorted to lathi-charge and used water cannons to disperse them.
Police detained some protesters as well, including Hindu Jagran Manch secretary Kamal Gautam, and erected the barricade near the mosque again but the protesters refused to leave and continued raising slogans against the administration.
The outbreak of the clash left students in Sanjauli, Dhalli and adjoining areas stranded in schools. Residents vented their anger at the administration for not ordering the schools to remain closed for the day despite being aware of the demonstration.
They said several school managements are awaiting directions from the district administration to send the children back home.
Two police personnel injured in scuffle
At least two police personnel were injured in the scuffle and stone-pelting, while the protesters claimed some of them sustained injuries as well in the police action.
Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, who was at the spot beside Director General of Police (DGP) Atul Verma, said attempts were on to bring the situation under control.
"We are trying to pacify the situation through dialogue but there is no leader and the mob is not ready to listen," Gandhi added.
What CM Sukhu said on protests
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the issue should not be given a political colour. "Maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the government.
People have the right to protest peacefully but there should be no damage to anyone from any community," he added.
Himachal Pradesh Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh appealed for peace and said the state government would take necessary legal action on the dispute around the mosque.
"It is not the case of one structure but there are more than 4,000-5,000 such structures.
The matter has been pending in the municipal commissioner's court for the past 14 years and efforts would be taken to expedite the case," he added.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jai Ram Thakur also appealed to protesters not to defy the prohibitory orders.
"The case of the unauthorised mosque is very sensitive and should not be dealt with routinely and the matter should be expedited as tension can spill over to other parts of the state also," he warned the government.
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