No prayers at Sanjauli mosque, protesters end indefinite hunger strike

Although the main entry gate to the mosque was found bolted from the outside, a few people entered the building through a side passage prompting some activists to lodge their protest before the police personnel standing there.

Maulana Shahzad Alam, the mosque’s cleric, said, “No one came to offer prayers. Whoever wanted to come was told to pray at another mosque. I can’t say beyond this. This land belongs to the State Waqf Board. I am a salaried employee here”.

Mohammed Irfan, a resident of Dhalli, said, “Due to heavy police presence and the current situation, my friends and I preferred not to go to the Sanjauli mosque for Friday prayers. There are other mosques in Shimla, so we went there. The fixed time for Friday prayer was 1.30 pm. Yesterday, when I contacted office bearers of the mosque committee, they had hinted that we should avoid going.”

Meanwhile, a short video went viral even as district administration officials—including Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Pankaj Sharma—were interacting with the protesters. The video showed certain individuals entering the mosque, prompting protesters to intensify their demand to seal the disputed structure and disconnect its water and electricity supply.

Vikas Thapta, one of the protestors on hunger strike, said, “A local resident shot a video showing people entering the mosque, bypassing the police stationed at the main entrance. When a structure has already been declared illegal, what is the point of performing religious activity there? We have ended our indefinite hunger strike for now, as the administration has assured us that our demands will be discussed on November 29.”

The atmosphere at the protest site grew tense when right-wing activists under the banner of the Hindu Sangharsh Samiti urged Hindus to boycott goods and services sold or provided by members of a certain community.

ADM Pankaj Sharma told The Indian Express, “There was no traffic jam or any untoward situation. We conveyed to the protesters that a joint meeting will be held on November 29 to discuss their demands, within the ambit of the law. Action will be taken as per rules and regulations.”

Shimla SDM Oshin Sharma, ASP Navdeep Singh, Sanjauli SHO Jaswant Singh, and other officials were present at the site.

Meanwhile, protester Madan Thakur, who was on indefinite strike, was taken to Indira Gandhi Medical College & Hospital (IGMC) due to low blood pressure. Others Vijay Sharma, Ashok Sharma and Vikas Thapta take the food in the presence of district administrative officials.

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