Shimla: The mosque committee of Sanjauli Mosque in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla has started the demolition process of the illegal part of the building. The demolition began after the committee received the clearance from Waqf Board which owns the Mosque.
Speaking about the issue, mosque committee head Mohammad Latif Negi said the demolition work started on Monday morning, “The work has started with the roof being removed at present. The Waqf Board has permitted us to start the work. However, they have declined to pay us for the demolition. We are spending money on demolition ourselves. We will talk to them and the court.”
The mosque committee was given two months for demolition
The Municipal Commissioner had given two months to the mosque committee for demolition. Instructions were issued to the committee to demolish the three floors of the mosque. However, at the time, the committee had said that it would proceed with the demolition only after getting permission from the Waqf Board.
The order was issued by the Waqf board on October 5. The municipal commissioner had issued an order to demolish three unauthorized floors of the mosque, with a two-month deadline for compliance. In response, the mosque committee sent a letter to the Wakf Board, seeking its legal opinion and permission to proceed further. It also said that since the property is owned by the Wakf Board, any action regarding demolition must be taken as per its directions.
All Himachal Muslim Organisation to challenge the order
Importantly, the All Himachal Muslim Organisation has already announced its intention to challenge the decision of the Municipal Commissioner in the appellate court. The organization argued that this order is based on unauthorised applications and ignores important aspects related to the history and owners of the mosque.
