"Identity registration, verification of street vendors due for 20 months": BJP's Jairam Thakur hit out at govt over Sanjauli mosque row

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 11 : After a row erupted over the alleged illegal construction of Sanjauli mosque, Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly LoP and BJP leader Jairam Thakur hit out at the Congress government and said that since this government has come into power, they haven't initiated the process of identity registration and verification of street vendors.
Thakur further said that the due process has filled the streets with unknown people whose backgrounds are unavailable.
"If you are talking about street vendors, we brought a policy that all street vendors are welcome but they have to go through the process of identity registration and verification. It's been 20 months since the formation of Congress government, but Congress has stopped this activity for the last 20 months. The streets are filled with people about whom no one knows who they are and where they came from, we don't have their background. This situation is result of these circumstances only," said Jairam Thakur on Tuesday.
As Shimla is witnesing protests on Wednesday against the alleged illegal construction of the Mosque, Jairam Thakur urged people to peacefully demonstrateand said it is the government's responsibility to maintain the law and order in the state.
Speaking to ANI, LoP Thakur said, "Himachal is a peaceful state and there has never been a tension related to any community but the situation is moving in that direction. The situation has worsened due to the recent incident. The government doesn't work on time. Now, as demonstration has been called, it is the responsibility of the current government to maintain the law and order. I urge people to demonstrate peacefully as it is their right but shouldn't do anything which can lead to any kind of disharmony or loss of public properties in the state."
Citing the heated debate of Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Thakur accused Congress of scolding Minister Anirudh Singh over his statement in the assembly on Sanjauli mosque.
Thakur also said that it was their minister (Anirudh Singh) who initially said that the construction of the Sanjauli mosque is illegal and unauthorised, and a lot of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis have come to the state.
"Their minister raised the (mosque) issue in the Assembly. He said that this (mosque) is illegal and unauthorised. He said that a lot of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis have come here. When he said these things, the matter reached to the high commission of Congress and they instructed to remove him from the ministry. He was scolded for this but if he has raised a concern from his area which has truth, then we cannot shut our eyes against it. Today, I can see that the Chief Minister and the minister are saying something else," said Thakur.
Hoping for immediate action on the case, Thakur said, "When I raised the issue in the assembly, they are presenting it as an unauthorised issue and saying that thousands such cases are pending in the state. They are trying to treat this case as similar to others. I believe this case should be treated otherwise and there should be a legal actions and procedures taken on this case, that too immediately."
The matter is listed in the Municipal Commissioner's court in Shimla. The next hearing of the case has been scheduled on October 5.