Pace of demolition work at Sanjauli Mosque slow: Devbhoomi Sangarsh Samiti

Shimla: A day after the Sanjauli Mosque Committee started demolishing three storeys of the mosque here on the municipal court's order, the Devbhoomi Sangarsh Samiti, which was protesting against the alleged illegal structure, claimed the pace of work was "slow" which is a matter of concern.

DSS co-convener Madan Thakur said only four sheets were removed in a day's work on Monday.

"The speed at which the demolition work is going on is a matter of concern. If the mosque committee is facing financial crunch to demolish the unauthorised structure, they can call the Sanatanis and we will not take a rupee. We will also get our food from our homes and will not even leave the debris there," he said.

He termed the demolition work being executed by the mosque committee a "drama".

He said the minority community cannot be trusted and the "Sanatanis should be prepared to boycott them socially, financially and politically".

The people of the state are also watching the role of the Congress government in the state, he added.

The demolition work started on Monday after the Waqf Board go-ahead. It came following the October 5 orders of the Municipal Commissioner (MC) Court directing the Waqf Board and the Sanjauli Mosque Committee president to demolish three storeys of the five-storey structure in two months at their cost.

The demolition started with the removal of the roof amid tight police security.

Mosque Managing Committee president Muhammad Latif told PTI on Tuesday, "We have given the contract to remove the roof which would be done in October and the structure would be demolished in the time given by the court or we would seek more time as financial crunch is an issue."

"Funding is the main issue as neither the public nor the government would give money to demolish the structure and the mosque committee has to bear the expenses from its limited resources," Latif said.

He was part of a delegation which submitted a representation before the municipal court on September 12 offering to demolish the unauthorised floors of the mosque, a day after 10 people were injured during a protest demanding the demolition of a portion of the mosque.

The call of the protest was given by the Devbhoomi Sangarsh Samiti.

DSS Convener Bharat Bhushan said if the mosque committee is short of funds, they can approach the court. "We are also willing to support the Muslim community if they wish."

Bhushan also welcomed the Himachal Pradesh High Court decision directing the Municipal Commissioner court to decide within eight weeks the 15-year-old case about the alleged illegal construction of Sanjauli mosque in Shimla.

The case dates back to 2010 and in its 46th hearing on October 5, the MC Court directed the Waqf Board and the president of the Sanjauli Mosque Committee to demolish three storeys of the five-storey disputed structure in two months at their own cost but the final verdict in the case is still awaited.

However, the All Himachal Muslims Organisation (AHMO) had said that they would challenge the order in the court of the appellate authority and take the matter to the Supreme Court.

Earlier, AHMO state spokesperson Nazakat Ali Hashmi said in a statement the persons who gave the representation had no authority to make any such submission and the orders passed by the MC court were not based on facts.

He maintained that the land belonged to the Waqf Board, the mosque is 125 years old and the storeys are not illegal. The approval of maps is pending with the authorities but the MC court ordered demolition of the storeys, he said.