Hindu outfits take out rally in Himachal demanding Waqf Board be abolished

Hundreds of people took out a rally in Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur and Mandi districts on Saturday under the banner of Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, demanding abolishing the Waqf Board and verifying the identification documents of migrants to the state.

The organisation had given a call for a statewide protest over the issues.

In Mandi, the leaders of the organisations said that growing unrest in the state surrounds the alleged encroachment by the Waqf Board, with reports of illegal mosques and shrines emerging across the region. They also expressed concern over the increasing presence of illegal immigrants.

Urging the state government to dissolve the Waqf Board and frame stringent policies to curb illegal activities, the Hindu outfits submitted a memorandum to Mandi deputy commissioner.

In Hamirpur, the procession, led by Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti's district president Surjeet Singh and Bajrang Dal's district chief Ashish Sharma, was attended by several people who waved saffron flags and banners.

Police personnel were deployed in large numbers in the town to maintain law and order while shops owned by members of a minority religious community remained closed.

Leaders of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti submitted a memorandum to the Hamirpur district administration demanding that the Waqf Board be abolished and identification documents of migrants be checked.

Addressing the rally, the leaders of the organisation demanded that a proposal to check the documents of migrants to Himachal Pradesh be passed in the Gram Sabha meetings slated to be held across the state on October 2.

They also accused the Congress government in the state of procrastinating over the Sanjauli mosque issue.

Hindu groups and locals have been demanding the demolition of an unauthorised portion of the mosque in Sanjauli. Ten people sustained injuries during protests on September 11, a day after the Muslim community urged the municipal commissioner to seal the unauthorised portion and also offered to demolish it in accordance with a court order.

Leaders of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti warned the government not to take the issue lightly and help Hindus live peacefully in the state “rather than helping outsiders without valid documents”. — with PTI