Shimla witnessed chaotic scenes on Wednesday as locals clashed with police during a protest march over alleged illegal construction inside a mosque complex in the city.
Visuals from Shimla showed protesters toppling police barricades and security personnel resorting to lathicharge and water cannons to control the crowd. The protesters were heard chanting slogans such as "Himachal Ne Thaana Hai, Devbhoomi Ko Bachana Hai" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai."
The march was called to protest against the alleged illegal construction of extra floors in a mosque located in Shimla's Sanjauli area. Earlier, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had said that while people have the right to protest, they should do so peacefully and without damaging public property.
"There have never been communal riots in our state. Himachal is known as Devbhoomi. Currently, the situation is normal and everyday public life is running smoothly. Protesting is the right of the people, but everything should happen within the limits of the law", Himachal Pradesh Minister Rohit Thakur echoed Sukhu after the prohibitory orders were issued.
Sukhu had also said that the issue of the alleged illegal construction at the Sanjauli mosque was being heard by a local municipal court and that law would take its course.
"We held meetings with the stakeholders and are hopeful that the protest would be peaceful", SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said while appealing to the locals who joined the protests.
The protesters defied the prohibitory orders issued on Tuesday in the area following escalating tension over the alleged construction of extra floors in the mosque and calls for a shutdown by some Hindu organisations.
Earlier on Wednesday, a heavy presence of police forces was seen in the Dhalli tunnel before the protest march. Vehicles were also being checked at police posts in order to see to it that no untoward incident takes place.
