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Hindutva protestors, who have been staging a hunger strike for 10 consecutive days, are demanding that authorities seal and demolish the mosque by December 30

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The Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board on Friday petitioned the state High Court to challenge a district court order declaring the Sanjauli mosque in Shimla’s outskirts “unauthorised,” as protests by Hindu nationalist groups intensified, reported Maktoob Media

Members of the Dev Bhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, who have been staging a hunger strike for 10 consecutive days, are demanding that authorities seal and demolish the mosque by December 30, in line with the district court’s October 30 ruling. The court had upheld an earlier decision by the Shimla municipal commissioner ordering the structure’s removal.

A spokesperson for the Samiti has called for immediate disconnection of the shrine’s water and electricity supply. Videos shared on social media showed activists from the Samiti and the Hindu Raksha Manch holding protests and boycotting Muslim-owned shops, citing the court’s ruling.

The Waqf Board’s petition challenges both the municipal commissioner’s order and the district court’s judgment. The High Court is expected to decide on Monday whether the plea is maintainable.

Local residents and activists said Samiti members had warned Muslims not to attend Friday prayers at the mosque. Despite heightened tensions, a small group offered prayers, and police reported no incidents.

Protesters also performed a shashtra pooja—a ritual involving weapons—near the demonstration site. Vijay Sharma, the Samiti’s co-convenor, told local reporters the group would meet officials on November 29 before deciding whether to escalate their agitation. He criticised those who prayed at the mosque, calling it “unfortunate,” and accused them of “provoking tensions.”

A 2024 report by Sabrang India said the Sanjauli mosque stands on waqf land donated in 1940, before India enacted the Waqf Act. The donation deed, written in Urdu, remains on record, the report said. Under the 1954 Waqf Act, all Muslim charitable properties, including mosques, came under the jurisdiction of state Waqf Boards.

According to the report, government documents from 1954 identify the Sanjauli land as waqf property. The mosque complex includes a hall used by travellers, and the previous BJP-led state government sanctioned ₹12 lakh for its construction.

A recent fact-finding report by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) said the mosque had long existed without dispute until a campaign began last year alleging it was illegal. The APCR report linked rising tensions to protests in September 2024, when the Vishva Hindu Parishad and other groups demanded the mosque’s demolition. Demonstrators clashed with police and shouted anti-Muslim slogans, the organisation said.

The report added that an altercation between Hindu and Muslim men in nearby Malyana on August 30 triggered rumours that the Muslim men had taken refuge in the mosque, further inflaming tensions. APCR said the episode had “exacerbated communal tensions,” affecting businesses and residents and raising concerns about religious freedom and minority rights.

The High Court’s upcoming decision on the Waqf Board’s petition is expected to determine the mosque’s fate as protests and political pressure continue to mount.