New Delhi: In Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, a mosque has come under threat from Hindu extremists who are pushing for its demolition, claiming the structure is illegally built.
According to Kashmir Media Service, BJP leader Rakesh Sharma and councilor Rachna Sharma have approached the local administration with a memorandum stating the mosque in Kasampatti is constructed on government land without the requisite conditions met under the Waqf Board Act. They argue that the area lacks the required number of Muslim families, which is stated to be 40, to justify a mosque, referencing the mosque’s inauguration in 2016-17.
In response to these claims, local authorities have increased security around the mosque, instituting checks on identity cards and restricting access to non-locals.
This move follows a pattern of actions against historical Muslim sites in India, including the recent destruction of a 700-year-old mosque in Delhi by the Delhi Development Authority, signaling a broader campaign by extremists targeting various notable mosques and shrines across the region.