Protesters demanding the demolition of an illegal portion of a mosque in Shimla's Sanjauli area clashed with security personnel on Wednesday, breaking barricades and pelting stones as police used water cannons and baton-charged to disperse them.

Raising slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Hindu Ekta Zindabad”, hundreds of protesters gathered at the Sabzi Mandi Dhalli and marched towards Sanjauli, defying prohibitory orders and ignoring warnings by the administration to lodge their protest and broke barricades erected near the Dhalli tunnel.

As the protesters gathered on the call of some Hindu groups, entered Sanjauli and broke a second barricade near the mosque, police resorted to lathi-charge and used water cannons to disperse them.

Police detained some protesters as well, including Hindu Jagran Manch secretary Kamal Gautam, and erected the barricade near the mosque again but the protesters refused to leave and continued raising slogans against the administration.

The outbreak of the clash left students in Sanjauli, Dhalli and adjoining areas stranded in schools. Residents vented their anger at the administration for not ordering the schools to remain closed for the day despite being aware of the demonstration.

At least two police personnel were injured in the scuffle and stone-pelting, while the protesters claimed some of them sustained injuries as well in the police action.

Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, who was at the spot beside Director General of Police (DGP) Atul Verma, said attempts were on to bring the situation under control.

The Shimla district administration has issued prohibitory orders under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, barring the assembly of five or more people and the carrying of lethal weapons and arms.