In view of a planned protest today against the unauthorised mosque in Sanjauli, the district administration has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023.
The orders, effective from 7 am to 11.59 pm tomorrow, prohibit the gathering of five or more persons in public places without permission. Additionally, carrying weapons and arms, including lathis, daggers, sticks, spears, swords, pickaxes, shovels, and other incendiary materials, is prohibited.
The orders also ban demonstrations, slogans, and hunger strikes without prior permission. The use of loudspeakers in hospitals, courts, educational institutions, and public places is prohibited.
Furthermore, there will be a complete ban on communal, anti-national, and anti-state slogans, wall writings, posters, and other forms of expression during this period.
Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap stated that the district administration has taken effective steps to maintain law and order in the Sanjauli area of Shimla.
“The measures aim to ensure that normalcy in daily life is fully preserved in the region,” he said. Kashyap assured that everyday life in the area will proceed as usual, with schools, government and private offices, and markets remaining open. He emphasised that the public should not face any inconvenience, as the administration is committed to taking stringent measures to maintain law and order.
The decision follows outrage from Hindu outfits and local residents over the pending case in the Municipal Commissioner’s (MC) court regarding the unauthorised mosque construction.
Earlier, they had given an ultimatum to the government to demolish the illegal construction by September 7. However, the MC’s court directed the concerned official to file a fresh status report on October 5.
