Hindu outfits take out rally in Himachal, demand Waqf Board abolition

Hundreds of people took out a rally in Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur on Saturday under the banner of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, demanding the abolition of 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.

Led by Surjeet Singh, the district president of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti, and Ashish Sharma, the district chief of the Bajrang Dal, the procession was attended by people waving 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 community remained closed.

Leaders of the Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti submitted a memorandum to the local 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 to be held across the state on October 2.

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

Hindu groups and local residents 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 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”.