Muslims fear a widening drive against places of worship across the hill state as Hindu Raksha Manch prompts calls for action in Nerwa tehsil
SHIMLA — With Hindutva elements upping the ante in the dispute over Sanjauli Mosque in Shimla, fresh demands have been raised for action against three other mosques in Himachal Pradesh, deepening anxiety among Muslim residents across the state.
The Hindu Raksha Manch, a right-wing Hindu group, held a press conference in Shimla claiming that three mosques in Nerwa tehsil were built on government land. The group cited information received under the Right to Information Act (RTI) and demanded that the district administration take immediate steps against the structures.
According to the organisation, officials admitted in a RTI reply that two mosques named Rahman and Bilal stand on government land. Hindu Raksha Manch president Kamal Gautam addressed the media and warned of protests if action was not taken.
“These constructions are illegal and part of a planned effort. The administration must act at once,” Gautam said. “If there is no response, our organisation is ready to come out on the streets.”
He also claimed that such constructions were changing the population pattern of the state. “Government land is being taken over in many places. Mosques and shrines are being built without permission,” he said.
Muslim residents in Nerwa strongly rejected these claims and said the language used by Hindu groups had created fear. A local mosque committee member said, “We are being named and shamed without any hearing. Threats are being made in public, and only mosques are being pointed out.”
Another resident said, “If there is any legal issue, it should be settled by law, not by pressure and warnings. Why are only Muslim places shown as a problem?”
Community leaders said the pattern seen in the Sanjauli Mosque case was now repeating elsewhere. “First Sanjauli, now Nerwa. This sends a message that Muslim religious places are easy targets,” a Muslim leader in Shimla said.
The controversy has also put the Congress-led state government under pressure. Himachal Pradesh is governed by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Muslim groups say the government must protect minority rights and stop public threats against places of worship.
A senior Congress leader, speaking privately, said, “Any issue of land must be checked as per records. No group should be allowed to decide matters through threats.”
As tensions rise, Muslim residents say they fear that street pressure, not law, is shaping the debate. With protests being openly discussed, all eyes are now on the district administration and how it responds to the demands raised by Hindu organisations.
