Anurag Thakur attacks Waqf Board after court's order to demolish Sanjauli mosque in Shimla

Shimla: Former Union minister and BJP leader Anurag Thakur on Monday said taking illegal possession of land without valid documents has become the mindset of the Waqf Board as he attacked it over the issue of Sanjauli mosque in Shimla, which has been ordered to be demolished by a court.

Talking to the media persons at the Kangra airport, he said that the Sanjauli mosque in Shimla was constructed illegally, and not only the top stories but the whole structure was unauthorised. The Waqf Board could not show the papers of land ownership and permission to construct the mosque, and hence, the court ordered its demolition on Saturday, he added.

The sitting MP from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat said, "The Sanjauli mosque is one of the thousands examples where the Waqf Board has taken illegal possession of land without valid documents.

"Kabza jamayange, sansani failayenge par kagaz nahin dikhayenge (will take possession, create sensation but not show papers) -“ this has become the mindset of the Waqf Board," he added.

The Shimla Municipal Corporation Commissioner's Court ruled on Saturday that all five stories of the disputed Sanjauli mosque here were unauthorised and ordered the demolition of the entire structure, according to a lawyer.

A section of residents of Sanjauli and Hindu outfits had launched an agitation to press for the demolition of the mosque, claiming that it was unauthorised but no action was taken by the corporation in the past 15 years.

The court had on October 5, 2024, ordered the demolition of the top three "unauthorised" stories and asked the Waqf Board to produce the documents of sanctioned plans of the remaining two stories.

Advocate Jagat Pal, representing the locals who were seeking the demolition of the mosque, said that the Waqf Board failed to produce the documents on ownership of the land and also the sanctioned building plan, following this, the court passed the demolition order.