Violence erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal on Sunday morning as police conducting a court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid faced stone pelting and arson by a mob.
The police used tear gas and lathi-charge to disperse the miscreants, who also set some vehicles ablaze. Despite the chaos, the survey team completed its work and was safely escorted out of the area, officials said.
The survey, ordered by a local court, relates to a petition claiming the mosque was built on the ruins of the Harihar temple.
Sambhal SP Krishan Kumar warned of against the offenders under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) and announced that individuals involved in the violence would be identified through videography and CCTV footage.
“The stone pelters have tried to target the police personnel by putting their vehicles on fire. Action will be taken against them under NSA. Videography has been done with drones and with the help of CCTV cameras, all these people will be identified and action will be taken against them,” he said.
The stone-pelting in Sambhal is the latest incident in Uttar Pradesh around the ongoing sensitivity surrounding mosque-temple disputes. Police have stated that additional forces have been deployed to maintain peace in the area, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the miscreants responsible for Sunday’s violence.
Reacting to the incident, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, condemned the violence and urged calm among Muslims in Sambhal. “Stone pelting and vandalism is not appropriate. I appeal to the Muslims of Sambhal to maintain Islam’s teachings of peace and tranquillity. As far as the court proceedings are concerned, the Jama Masjid is ours. Its towers, walls, and domes hold proof that it is a Tarikhi Masjid. We will fight this through law and strong evidence, and the success will be ours,” he said.
BSP chief Mayawati criticized the Uttar Pradesh government and administration, linking the unrest to the political climate following recent by-election results.
“I would also like to tell the UP government that after the unexpected results of the by-elections in UP yesterday, there was a lot of tension in the entire Moradabad division, especially in Sambhal district. In such a situation, the government and administration should have taken forward the work of surveying the mosque-temple dispute in Sambhal. This would have been much better, but by not doing so, whatever ruckus and violence happened during the survey today, the UP government and administration are completely responsible for that. This is highly condemnable. This work should have been done peacefully by taking both parties together, which is not being done. I strongly appeal to all the people of Sambhal to maintain peace there,” she said.
Meanwhile, State Minister Jaiveer Singh accused the perpetrators of disregarding the law and the judiciary, vowing strict action against those involved.
“People of the particular religion are considering themselves above the Constitution, law and judiciary. The government under the leadership of PM Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath will make everyone abide by the law…Such hooliganism and disrespect of the court’s order is not going to work… No one should be allowed to do such kind of acts in the name of their religion,” he said.