No action taken even 7 months after the order to demolish the 3 illegal floors of the mosque !

Case of the Sanjauli Mosque in Shimla (Himachal Pradesh)

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) – In October 2024, an order was issued to demolish three illegally constructed floors of a five-storey mosque built in the Sanjauli area of Shimla. Even after seven months, the Mosque Committee has not yet demolished the floors. The committee keeps coming up with new excuses in each hearing. In the latest hearing, the court has given the committee a final deadline of April 26, 2025; however, questions remain whether the floors will actually be demolished on that date.

1. In the latest court hearing, the Municipal Commissioner stated that the Mosque Committee claimed demolition work is ongoing, but so far, only 50% of the illegal construction has been removed. The mosque is in a residential area, making it difficult to carry out the work swiftly.

2. The court took a strict stance, ordering complete removal of the remaining illegal construction by April 26. The Commissioner also clarified that the Himachal Pradesh High Court has instructed for a swift resolution of the matter.

3. Local residents of Sanjauli are clearly angry about this issue. Bharat Bhushan, convener of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, said the Mosque Committee is deliberately delaying the process. “First they claimed a lack of funds; now they say removing the debris is taking time,” he added. He expressed concern that the land on which the mosque is built belongs to the government, not the Waqf Board, and there is now a fear that the revenue records might be tampered with.

4. Kamal Gautam from Hindu Jagran Manch said the delay by the government is preventing the issue from progressing quickly. “If the government decides, the work can be completed quickly.” He pointed out that the mosque is situated in such a location where bulldozers or large machinery cannot be used, and hence the entire demolition must be carried out manually.

Editorial Perspective

Even after a major protest by Hindus led to a demolition order, if the Mosque Committee is not complying, the government must carry out the demolition and recover the costs from the committee.