Shimla : A new controversy has arisen in the well-known mosque case in the suburb of Sanjauli in the capital city of Shimla. The Muslim organization has declared the Municipal Court's decision to demolish the three illegal floors of the mosque within two months as incorrect and has announced plans to challenge it in a higher court. The organization claims that the mosque committee applied to demolish the illegal portions of the mosque under pressure.
During a meeting of the All Himachal Muslim Organization held on Wednesday evening in Baluganj, Shimla, the decision made by the Municipal Court regarding the Sanjauli mosque on October 5 was reviewed. It was found that the decision given by the Commissioner is entirely contrary to the facts, as the ownership of the land of this mosque is with the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board, and the revenue records have listed it as a mosque for nearly 125 years.
The Muslim organization stated that the decision of the Municipal Commissioner has hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community and that they will fight this matter in the Supreme Court. They termed the allegations of illegal construction as baseless, asserting that the Sanjauli mosque was built on the land of the Waqf Board.
The Himachal Muslim Organization also clarified that the construction carried out by the Sanjauli mosque trust in recent years has been done above the old mosque and is entirely legal.
Spokesperson Najakat Ali Hashmi of the All Himachal Muslim Organization mentioned that as far as the issue of approving the map of the upper floors of the mosque is concerned, the application for the approval of that map was submitted before starting the construction work. This application was pending in the Commissioner's office. The Municipal Commissioner of Shimla ignored the application to approve the map and made a decision to demolish the upper floors based solely on the opinions of a few individuals who are not authorized to take such actions.
He emphasized that the Commissioner's decision has hurt the faith and sentiments of the Muslim community and that they will challenge this decision in the higher court as soon as possible. He stated that they will fight legally until the end to protect the Sanjauli mosque and all mosques in the state.
Mosque Committee Will Comply with Municipal Court's Order: Illegal Construction to be Demolished
Meanwhile, the Sanjauli mosque committee has rejected the claims of the All Himachal Muslim Organization. The committee's president, Mohammad Latif, stated that the Municipal Court's decision will be upheld, and the illegal floors will be demolished.
The Municipal Court of Shimla has declared the three upper floors of the disputed Sanjauli mosque as illegal and has ordered the mosque committee to demolish them. The mosque committee has been given two months to comply with this order. To implement the decision, the mosque committee is working to raise funds, as they will have to bear the cost of demolishing the illegal floors themselves.
