Violence erupted on Sunday in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal after clashes broke out between protesters and police over a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. Three people, identified as Naeem, Bilal, and Nauman, were killed, and around 20 police personnel, were injured. The violence began when protesters, opposing the survey, pelted stones at the police, who responded with tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd.
- Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh confirmed that the injured included the Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), who was shot in the leg, and the Police Circle Officer, who was hit by pellets, news agency PTI reported. He also mentioned that a constable sustained a serious head injury, while a deputy collector suffered a fractured leg. Singh stated that 15 to 20 security personnel were injured in the violence and preparations were underway for the post-mortem of the deceased.
- Three people, identified as Naeem, Bilal, and Nauman, were killed in the violence, Singh said. Two women were among 21 people detained as a probe has been launched, the official said. He also informed that those accused of the violence would be booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).
- At the spot where the firing took place, several shells of different bores were recovered. Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishan Kumar stressed that no weapons were used that could take anyone’s life. “Weapons have also been recovered from the houses of the detained people. Firing took place from a house in Nakhasa police station area, from where two women have been detained,” he added.
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SP Vishnoi stated that the police used minimal force and tear gas to control the situation. “We will identify those involved in stone-pelting and those who incited them, and action will be taken,” he said. District Magistrate Rajendra Pesia assured that the situation was now under control.
- In view of the stone pelting incidents in Sambhal, the sub-district magistrate issued a notice prohibiting the citizens from buying or collecting stones, soda bottles, or any flammable or explosive material on their roofs, news agency ANI reported. “If anyone does this, strict action will be taken against them. Orders have also been given to the Nagar Palika that if any building construction material is lying on the roads, then it should be confiscated immediately,” the order stated.
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Uttar Pradesh Police Chief Prashant Kumar confirmed that the situation was being closely monitored. “All police and civil administration officials are handling the situation on the spot,” Kumar said, adding that anti-social elements would be identified and strict action taken.
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Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav condemned the incident, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the administration of orchestrating the violence to divert attention from alleged electoral malpractice. Speaking at a press conference in Lucknow, Yadav claimed, “A serious incident occurred in Sambhal. The survey was deliberately scheduled in the morning to disrupt discussions on elections. This was intended to create chaos and avoid debates on election rigging.”
The former chief minister raised questions about the necessity of the second survey, accusing the BJP of provoking emotions to distract from allegations of vote rigging. “What happened in Sambhal was orchestrated to avoid discussions on electoral malpractices,” he alleged, as quoted by PTI.
The SP chief further claimed that his party’s booth agents were removed on polling day, and supporters were prevented from voting. “If voters were prevented from voting, then who cast the votes? This is a serious issue,” Yadav said, adding that discriminatory measures, such as separate slips with red marks, were used during the polls.
- In response, the BJP alleged that the INDIA bloc had been trying to create unrest since the Lok Sabha elections, and suggested that those who do not agree with judicial orders should take legal recourse. “Nobody has any right to break the law. If a court has passed an order, it will be implemented. The judicial process is available for those who want the order amended,” party spokesperson Nalin Kohli said, as per PTI.
ALSO READ | Tensions Rise In Sambhal As Protestors Pelt Stone During Jama Masjid Survey
Sambhal Violence Erupts After Court-Ordered Survey Of Jama Masjid
Tension had been simmering in Sambhal since Tuesday, following a local court’s order for a survey of the Jama Masjid. The survey was initiated after a petition claimed that a Harihar temple stood at the site. District officials confirmed that the survey started at 7 am on Sunday, planned to avoid interference with the mosque’s afternoon prayers. Initially peaceful, the survey turned chaotic when a group of people gathered near the mosque and began shouting slogans. As the police attempted to disperse the crowd, some miscreants started throwing stones, escalating the violence.
The incident occurred amid ongoing legal proceedings regarding the disputed site. Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is a petitioner in the case, confirmed that the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) had ordered the formation of an Advocate Commission to conduct a videography and photography survey of the mosque. Jain noted that the court had directed the filing of a report after completing the survey.
In related developments, the Sambhal district administration had earlier bound down 34 individuals, including Mamlukur Rahman Barq, the father of SP MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq, over concerns of potential peace violations.
The controversy surrounding the mosque has also attracted attention from the Hindu side. Local lawyer Gopal Sharma, in his petition, claimed that historical texts such as Baburnama and Ain-e-Akbari confirmed that a Harihar temple once stood at the site of the Jama Masjid and was demolished by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1529.
Zia Ur Rehman Barq, the Samajwadi Party MP, strongly opposed the survey, citing the Supreme Court’s 1991 order that religious places in their current condition since 1947 should remain as they are. “The Jama Masjid of Sambhal is historical and very old,” Barq said.
