By Kavita Mistry 
The Himachal Police on Saturday registered an FIR against six members of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti for allegedly obstructing Muslims from offering namaz at the Sanjauli mosque in Shimla. The members are identified as Madan Thakur, Vijay Sharma, Kalpana Sharma, Shweta Chauhan, Shilpi and Parul. Thakur is the co-convenor of the organisation.
The incident occurred on Friday when several Muslims gathered in front of the mosque to offer namaz. It triggered a section of residents, and following that, the members of the Samiti, including the six accused, gathered at the spot. They allegedly tried to prevent the Muslims from entering the mosque, claiming that the mosque had been declared illegal by the local court, and hence, offering namaz should not be permitted.
They further doubted the citizenship of the people who came to offer namaz, claiming that their identities had not been verified. Some locals also stopped the visiting crowd from offering prayers and allegedly sent them back.
As tension escalated, additional police personnel were deployed at the site. They soon pacified the crowd and brought the situation under control.
Following the incident, the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti had submitted a letter to the office of a senior police officer in Shimla, demanding restrictions on the increasing number of people coming to the site for namaz, asserting that their identities cannot be ascertained.
They also requested to cut off the electricity and water connections to the mosque, as it had been declared illegal by the local court.
Meanwhile, the Sanjauli mosque was subjected to protests last year as many demanded a partial demolition, claiming the structure was illegal. A Shimla court later ordered the mosque committee to complete the demolition of three floors within two months.
The situation remains tense, with past events including violent clashes and the use of water cannons to disperse protesters.
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