A large group of far-right Hindu bodies, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and residents gathered at Chaura Maidan in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, September 5 to protest against an alleged “illegal” Mosque in Sanjauli.

In a video circulating on social media, the protesters are seen holding the tricolor and saffron flags chanting inflammatory slogans like “Gol* maaro saalo ko” and “katue mulle” (derogatory terms used for Muslims).

The footage has intensified scrutiny of the protest’s tone and its potential impact on communal relations.

The other Hindutva groups gathered to recite Bhajans and Hanuman Chalisa in front of the mosque demanding its removal.

The protest led to a political debate in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, with BJP and Congress leaders engaging in a blame game.

Ankush Chauhan, a BJP worker stated that all four floors of the Mosque were constructed illegally and no action has been taken despite the matter being pending for a decade. He also demanded an investigation into the increased population in the state, alleging they could be Rohingya or Bangladeshi.