Car wrecks after violence broke out during Sunday’s inspection of Sambhal’s Jama Masjid

Sambhal: Following the survey of a mosque in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday, four persons were killed in violence, prompting the suspension of internet services and the closure of schools.

Violent altercations between the villagers and the police during a court-ordered inspection of the Shahi Jama Masjid, which dates back to the Mughal era, caused chaos in Sambhal on Sunday morning. Due to allegations that it was constructed on the location of a Hindu temple, the mosque is at the center of a heated legal dispute.

In addition, the demonstrators flung stones and lit some cars on fire toward the police, who used batons and tear gas to scatter the crowd.

About 20 police officers were hurt in the confusion as well. It is believed that a constable who sustained a head injury is critical.

A probe has been initiated and 21 individuals, including two women, have been placed under arrest, according to an official. Those suspected of being involved in the assault will be charged under the strict National Security Act (NSA).

“It’s obvious that bullet wounds from homemade pistols killed two of them. “The cause of the third person’s death is unclear, but it will be determined following the post-mortem examination,” the news agency PTI cited District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya as saying.

The district government announced a holiday for all students up to Class 12 on November 25 and blocked internet access in Sambhal tehsil for 24 hours.

Additionally, until November 30, officials have prohibited any outsider, social group, or public official from accessing Sambhal without permission.

The Sambhal Row Over Mosque Survey

Since the Jama Masjid was surveyed last Tuesday on the orders of a local court after a petition alleging that a Harihar temple stood there, Sambhal has been tense. According to the administrators, the survey was scheduled for Sunday morning in order to avoid interfering with the afternoon prayers that are typically done, as it could not be finished on Tuesday.

The Hindu side’s attorney asserted that in 1529, Mughal Emperor Babur destroyed the temple that had previously existed there.

The survey’s proponents contend that it is an essential step in revealing historical facts, while its detractors see it as a provocative act that breaches the Places of Worship Act of 1991’s protection of religious sites.

The survey was conducted as scheduled by officials in spite of the violence. According to petitioner advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, the survey team followed the court’s instructions and thoroughly inspected the site, aided by photographs and video. November 29 is the deadline for submitting the survey report.

The Hindu side has already been represented by Mr. Jain and his father, Hari Shankar Jain, in numerous disputes involving houses of worship, such as the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and the dispute between the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

Sambhal Mosque Survey Opposition

Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party (SP), stated that the Supreme Court ought to review the “conspiracy to spread tension in the name of survey” “immediately.”

Those who brought sloganeers with them with the intention of upsetting social cohesion should be charged with disturbing peace and harmony, and the Bar Association should take disciplinary and punitive action against them. On X, formerly Twitter, he said in Hindi, “There was no hope from the UP government and administration, and there isn’t any now.”

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Ajay Rai, the head of the Uttar Pradesh Congress, claimed that under the administration of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, violent occurrences were “increasing day by day” in the state.

However, the BJP retaliated by stating that anybody who disagree with court orders ought to pursue legal action.

“No one is entitled to disobey the law. An order issued by a court will be carried out. Those who wish to have the order changed can do so through the legal system,” party spokesperson Nalin Kohli stated.