NEW DELHI: Several towns across Himachal Pradesh witnessed a bandh (strike) called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and various business groups in the wake of the protest against the alleged unauthorised construction of the Mosque and recent police action taken against the protestors. In the bandh that lasted till 11 am, protestors marched in places like Bilaspur, Kullu, Chamba, Hamirpur, and Paonta Sahib. In the capital Shimla, however, the bandh had minimal impact as the Beopar Mandal had already observed a similar closure on Thursday.
Protesters marched through the streets of Hamirpur and Chamba reciting the Hanuman Chalisa and voicing their opposition to what they called the " illegal expansion " of Mosques in the state. Protestors' main complaint revolved around the construction of a portion of a mosque in Shimla and alleged encroachment on government land by a mosque in Mandi. Protests in the hill state escalated after police used "laathi charged" in Shimla, and used water cannons in Mandi against demonstrators on Wednesday and Friday.
The protesters have also raised concerns about the presence of "outsiders" in the state and are demanding thorough verification of individuals from outside Himachal Pradesh. “The Manali Beopar Mandal kept shops closed for two hours in support of the cause,” said Rajneesh, the general secretary of the Manali Beopar Mandal. In Dalhousie, shops remained shut as well.
Tensions have been rising since Wednesday's clashes between police an.