Protests continue against illegal mosque construction in Himachal Pradesh
Protests against illegal construction of mosques in Himachal Pradesh are gaining momentum, with demonstrations spreading to several places. On Friday, members of Sanatan Ekta Sabha, Lok Sewa Samiti, Hindu Vyapar Mandal and local residents staged protests in Dharamshala and Nagrota Bagwan and claimed that action should be taken against unauthorised constructions.
In Nagrota, tension escalated when protesters tore banners from the shop of a member of a particular community and wrote objectionable slogans on its shutters. Some protesters also attempted to pelt stones at the shop, but the local police intervened and dispersed the crowd before the situation deteriorated further. To maintain peace and order, the police deployed personnel at prominent places across the city.
Rally and slogans raised in Dharamshala
In Dharamshala’s Kotwali market, local traders shut their shops and took to the streets, with the shops remaining shut till noon. The traders, along with other social organisations, took out a march on the streets and raised slogans of Hindu-Hindu bhai-bhai. The rally culminated at Fawwara Chowk, where the group recited Hanuman Chalisa five times.
Similar sentiments were seen in Nagrota, where after sloganeering, the protesters sat down to recite Hanuman Chalisa at the old bus stand and Gandhi Maidan. The demonstrations at both the places included opposition to renting out houses and shops to people of a particular community.
At the district headquarters in Dharamshala, representatives of the Kotwali Bazaar Vyapar Mandal submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner demanding action against illegal constructions in mosques and a probe into migrants living in the area. Vyapar Mandal president Narendra Jamwal, along with other trader leaders, raised concerns over the increasing number of migrants, who according to them are paying abnormally high rents.
Jamwal and his colleagues suspected that many migrants have the same date of birth and raised concerns over their activities. The Vyapar Mandal urged the authorities to take strict action to control the influx of migrants and conduct a thorough investigation of their background.
Darlaghat and Hamirpur join protests
In Darlaghat, members of the Hindu Jagran Manch staged a peaceful protest raising concerns about the growing presence of outsiders in the area. As part of their demonstration, locals gathered to recite the Hanuman Chalisa, adding their voice to the statewide agitation.
Meanwhile, in Hamirpur, there were reports of a possible protest near the Mathani Mosque. Members of the Muslim community had requested police for protection, fearing unrest. In response, the police beefed up security and put up barricades near the State Selection Commission office, preventing protesters from moving ahead.
FIR filed against protest leaders in Nerwa
The next day, on Friday, the police filed an FIR against several individuals, including Karni Sena state president Mukesh Khuranta, for the protest in Nerwa. Mukesh and former Hindu Jagran Manch office-bearer Kamal Gautam are accused of making statements that hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community during the protest near the Dundi Mata temple.
Both leaders have been accused of inciting tensions through their speeches, which allegedly contributed to the ongoing unrest surrounding the mosque construction. Authorities are continuing their investigation, while protesters have vowed to continue their demonstrations until action is taken against the illegal construction.
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