Traders protest across Himachal over Sanjauli mosque row, demand hawker verification

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 14 : Traders in the towns of Sunni, Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Kangra, and several other parts of Himachal Pradesh staged protests on Saturday over the Sanjauli mosque controversy. They demanded police verification of all hawkers coming from outside the state to conduct business.
Markets in Sunni and Kullu were shut down as the Sunni Vyapar Mandal called for a 'Bandh' in response to the Sanjauli mosque issue. Members of the Sunni Vyapar Mandal gathered in the markets to protest.
Protesters recited the 'Hanuman Chalisa' as part of their demonstration against the Sanjauli mosque controversy in Kullu.
One protesting trader said, "This 'Bandh' has been called by the Sunni Vyapar Mandal. We are supporting the strike, which lasted from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. It is a peaceful protest. Our demand is that all those coming here for business or other work from outside should be properly verified. The number of such unknown individuals is increasing in the state. Many of those running open stalls have no documentation and are involved in illegal activities."
Protesters emphasised that their demand for police verification applied to all hawkers, regardless of their religion.
Another local protester noted that the demonstration was also a response to the use of water cannons and lathi charges by security forces on Wednesday against those demanding the demolition of the allegedly illegally constructed Sanjauli mosque.
Earlier, on Friday, Shimla police renewed their appeal for calm as protests continued over the Sanjauli mosque issue.
Shimla Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjeev Kumar told ANI, "We had previously appealed to everyone to maintain peace regarding the Sanjauli case. However, following the recent incident of stone pelting, in which two of our officers were seriously injured, a thorough investigation is underway."
SP Kumar confirmed that they are working to identify those responsible for the violence.
He added, "From our investigation, it appears the entire incident was premeditated. We are in the process of identifying the individuals involved and determining on whose orders it was carried out."
"A total of eight cases have been registered in connection with the incident, all of which are under investigation," he said.
Meanwhile, Hindu organisations staged a protest in Mandi on Friday over another allegedly illegally constructed mosque in the city. As the crowd attempted to breach the barricades, police fired water cannons to disperse them.
The protests, organised by Hindu groups, took place even though mosque authorities had already demolished parts of the complex that were allegedly unauthorised. Large crowds gathered along Jail Road in Mandi, shouting slogans against the state government and demanding action over the alleged illegal construction.