A group of right-wing stormed a mosque in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra and confronted the imam (Islamic preacher) of a local mosque, claiming that the site was originally a temple.
A video of the incident emerged on social media on Saturday, November 16 showing the group members fueled by extreme ideology aggressively confronting the imam, threatening him to produce documents to prove the authenticity of the mosque, including the map of the mosque’s ownership history.
The situation intensified when the Hindutva members threatened to lock the mosque for refusing to meet their demands. The imam then replied by asserting that the area was historically a graveyard long before the construction of the mosque but one of the group members argued it was a temple 100 years ago.
This incident is part of the mounting intolerance of Muslims in Himachal Pradesh where various Hindu organizations have been actively working campaigning against what they claimed to be illegal mosques.
Such rising hostility has led to public demonstrations mostly in the state where people have called for the demolition of mosque structures which they allege were constructed unlawfully. These protests often feature anti-Muslim slogans and chants invoking Hindu religious sentiments by reciting Hanuman Chalisa outside mosques.
Background
The controversy surrounding these mosques is rooted in disputes over land ownership and the alleged construction of unauthorized mosques’ in the state.
In a major issue, a mosque in Kullu was accused of having been constructed unlawfully despite being established for decades. Local authorities have argued that though there may be some disparities in construction permissions none of the mosques is unlawful. The Muslim community members have expressed concerns about rising hostility, stating these protests were reportedly provoked by several Hindu right-wing organisations and far-right political leaders are part of a larger campaign to marginalize Muslims in the region.
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