Now, protests against outsiders pick up pace in Himachal

Amid the controversy surrounding alleged illegal portions of mosques in Shimla and Mandi, protests against outsiders working in the state have intensified.
On Monday, the market in Solan remained closed until noon in response to a call from local traders protesting the increasing number of migrants from other states. The traders said the influx of migrants is adversely affecting their businesses and could threaten the state’s peace.
Members of the Solan Beopar Mandal expressed growing security concerns due to the rising number of migrant labourers and workers in the district, and urged the administration to address this issue to safeguard the interests of local traders and residents. The business community has called for mandatory police verification of migrant workers who are in the state.
In Hamirpur’s Sujanpur, shops were closed from 11 am to 1 pm in protest against illegal encroachments in mosques and unregistered migrant workers. Protesters claimed that unregistered traders from outside states, whose credentials are questionable, are operating unchecked in Sujanpur city and surrounding villages.
Various Hindu organisations joined a protest rally from the police assistance room at Sujanpur bus stand to the sub-divisional magistrate’s office. They later submitted a demand letter to the administration in which they raised concerns about the increasing number of outsiders living in the sub-division.
Last week, at least 10 persons, including six police personnel and four protestors, were injured after the police resorted to baton charges and used water cannons after the agitators broke the barricades and reached the vicinity of the mosque in Shimla’s Sanjauli.
Notably, Hindu organisations have been demanding the demolition of the disputed structure in the mosque and the registration of outsiders coming to the state. Protests also escalated in Mandi on Friday demanding the demolition of a portion of a mosque built on encroached government land.
Amid the growing tensions, members of all political parties, during an all-party meeting chaired by CM Sukhu on Friday, unanimously decided that the speaker of the legislative assembly should be requested to constitute a joint committee to frame a policy for street vendors in the state.
Forest Department removes illegal structure of ‘mazar’ in Hamirpur
The forest department on Monday demolished the newly constructed structure of a ‘mazar’ (shrine) of Lakhdata peer in Shastar area of Hamirpur district, officials said.
According to the officials, the construction work of this ‘mazar’ on the forest land sparked controversy after someone posted pictures of the site on social media in the morning, leading to resentment within the Hindu community and escalating tensions.
Recognising the seriousness of the situation, the local district administration, along with security personnel, intervened and instructed the forest department to take appropriate action to defuse the crisis, they said. Following the administration’s orders, forest officials arrived at the site and demolished an illegal wall that was being built, the officials said. A spokesperson for the forest department said the department would demarcate the land where the ‘mazar’, reportedly dedicated to Lakhdata Peer, was being constructed.
Hamirpur is the home district of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. The officials said he was kept informed of the situation by local authorities as they acted to remove the wall.
An official spokesperson confirmed that the situation in Hamirpur district and town is now under control and no disruptions will be tolerated.On Sunday, VHP leaders, former councillors and chief of panchayats were among 50 people booked for violence during a protest that was held here last week demanding demolition of an illegal portion of a mosque in the Sanjauli area, police had said.