"Unfortunate": LoP Jairam Thakur slams Himachal govt over Sanjauli Mosque

Hitting out at the state government, Thakur said that the way the government tried to suppress the entire matter, there has been anger among the people of the state.

"Himachal has been a peaceful state...After whatever happened in Shimla, I've never seen such an atmosphere in the state. This has been a failure of the government...The way the government has tried to suppress the entire matter, there has been anger among the people of the state," he said.

"Water cannons and lathi charges were used and a lot of people were injured. I met the injured. This is a very unfortunate incident," he added.

When asked about the financial crisis in the state, LoP Thakur said that this is happening for the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh that the government employees did not receive their salaries on time and pensioners did not get their pensions.

"There is no doubt that there is an economic crisis in the state. But they (the opposition) sometimes deny it and sometimes accept it. One thing that he (CM) has come up with is whatever trouble arises in the state he blames either me or PM Modi...This is happening for the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh that the government employees did not receive their salaries on time and pensioners did not get their pensions. The reason is the financial crisis," he said.

Meanwhile, a day after Hindus protested against the 'illegal' mosque in Himachal Pradesh's capital Shimla, members of the Muslim committee met Municipal Commissioner Bhupender Kumar Attri on Thursday and urged to demolish the concerned part themselves if the court orders so.

Shaizad Alam, Imam, Sanjauli Mosque on Thursday said that they will demolish the alleged illegal construction of a mosque in Sanjauli to maintain harmony and for this, they have also given an application to the Municipal Commissioner of Shimla.

"We gave this application because...all the people of Himachal Pradesh have been living in harmony for decades. We want to stay in harmony and love in the future as well. It shouldn't be given a political angle... so we gave this application that we will demolish that part ourselves...we are not doing it under any pressure, we have only pressure that is to maintain the harmony," Shaizad said.

After meeting the Commissioner, Mufti Mohammed Shafi Kasmi, Imam Jama Masjid Mosque said that brotherhood between the communities is a huge requirement in Himachal and to maintain this, they are ready to remove the illegal portion of the mosque.

"We have said in it (memorandum) that, in this area, there is a huge requirement of brotherhood (between communities) in this border state. We have always lived here in harmony, so to maintain... if a portion (of Mosque) is illegal, let us know and we are ready to remove it ourselves," Kasmi told ANI.

Municipal Commissioner Attri said, " President of the Sanjauli Mosque and Maulvi, with a 12-member delegation, met me and submitted a memorandum. They requested peace and harmony in their region. They said that their area is peaceful and there has been brotherhood between different communities. So, they have requested that Municipal Corporation should seal that part of the building which is said to be illegal...they also said that if the judgment comes to remove that part, they are ready to do that as well..."

Earlier on Wednesday, as the protest over the alleged illegal construction of a mosque in the Sanjauli area intensified, police personnel used water cannons and resorted to lathi-charge to disperse protestors heading towards the Sanjauli area of Shimla.

Protestors removed the first layer of barricading and clashed with the security forces while entering the Dhalli Tunnel East portal during their protest march. The protests were called by Hindu organisations over the alleged illegal construction of Sanjauli Mosque. (ANI)