Hindu Organizations Protest Against Illegal Mosque Construction on Jail Road in Mandi, Demand Site Be Freed

Mandi, November 19: People of Hindu organizations once again took to the streets to protest against the illegal construction of the mosque located on Jail Road in the city and raised the demand to free this place. On Tuesday, Hindu leaders and people associated with the saint community from other districts of Himachal Pradesh participated in the protest and rally organized under the banner of Chhoti Kashi Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti. They took out a rally across the city and appealed to the Hindus to wake up.

Hindu leader Kamal Gautam from Bilaspur said that the mosque built on Jail Road used to be a place of worship earlier. Our ancestors had donated 45 square meters of land to the Muslim community. We are not demanding the land donated back but apart from that, we are demanding to free the illegal occupation done on Khasra number 1280.

This demand was made to the government and administration earlier also but no action has been taken on it till now. That is why the people of Hindu society are forced to take to the streets again. They warned the government and administration that if this land is not freed from the possession of Ahl-e-Islam soon, then in future the people of Hindu society will be forced to take action at their own level without giving any date.

Kamal Gautam said that there is full evidence in the revenue records that there was a temple on that land earlier and Ahl-e-Islam has occupied it. The lawyer of the other side has also accepted this in the TCP court. Revenue records are a certified record and it is authentic everywhere. He said that everyone’s eyes are fixed on what decision the administration and the government take on this. If the administration and the government do not do anything in time, then the future strategy will be made after consultation with the local people.

In view of this demonstration, Mandi district police had also made tight security arrangements. However, the entire demonstration was completed peacefully. People also raised mild slogans. On the other hand, the police had kept a strict vigil near the mosque site on Jail Road but the protesters did not go there. All the protesters tried to warn that this is a symbolic sit-in and if action is not taken in time, then the outline of the movement can become even more violent in the future.