Mosque row:Trade Union Shuts Markets In Manali 

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Shimla/Mandi

Despite Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s appeal for peace, shops in Mandi remained closed following a bandh call by trade union. Shops around Manali Mall Road and also in Sunni town remained closed as Sunni Vyapar Mandal called for a ‘Bandh’ over the Sanjauli mosque row. Protestors are demanding the demolition of an unauthorized portion of a mosque. On Friday, Hindu groups in Mandi held a protest march, demanding the demolition of the mosque’s unauthorized portion and attempting to approach the building. Protesters in Shimla and Mandi are also calling for stricter police verification of migrants coming from other states to work in Himachal Pradesh.

In response to the unrest surrounding the alleged illegal construction of the Sanjauli mosque, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu chaired an all-party meeting to assess the situation. After the meeting, he emphasized the consensus on maintaining peace in the state, stating, “Himachal Pradesh is a peaceful state where people of all religions should coexist without restrictions. However, all actions must be lawful, and no statements should incite or harm any religious sentiments.”

Meanwhile, police have begun gathering call records of individuals accused of instigating the protests in Shimla. During the demonstrations on Wednesday, six police officers and four protesters were injured after police used batons and water cannons to disperse the crowd when barricades were broken, according to News 18.