North News
Mandi, September 13
Just two days after the violence in Shimla, fresh clashes erupted between protesters and police in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh over the construction of an alleged illegal mosque. Chaotic scenes unfolded on Jail Road, where visuals showed police using water cannons to disperse demonstrators who attempted to breach security barricades, the news outlet India Today reported.
The unrest in Mandi mirrors recent clashes in neighbouring Shimla, where locals protested against the construction of a structure inside a mosque complex. According to Republic World, police were forced to use water cannons on Friday to control protesters demanding the demolition of a mosque built on encroached land.
The situation escalated when Hindu groups organized a protest march in Mandi’s market area, which later led to a sit-in at Seri Manch. The protest turned violent as demonstrators tried to move toward the disputed mosque, prompting police intervention.
While in response to growing tensions on Thursday, members of the Muslim community voluntarily demolished the unauthorised portion of the mosque located on Jail Road. The structure was built on land owned by the Public Works Department (PWD), which, along with the municipal corporation, had previously issued notices to the mosque management regarding the encroachment, media reports said.
