Violence in Sambhal
The disturbance started on Sunday when a team showed up to the Shahi Jama Masjid to carry out a new survey.
Following rioting over a mosque survey that claimed three lives, the Sambhal district administration in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday announced a 24-hour internet suspension in the Sambhal Tehsil. Additionally, local schools will stay closed.
Locals reportedly attacked security guards and threw stones at the police when a team arrived at the Shahi Jama Masjid on Sunday to perform a new survey, sparking the commotion. The police responded by dispersing the gathering with tear gas.
The assessment was conducted as part of a court case related to a petition filed by prominent lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, who asserted that the mosque was once a temple.
“The order will be effective in the Sambhal tehsil area and the decision on further extension will be taken after assessing the situation tomorrow (Monday),” stated Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensia, who issued an order for a 24-hour internet shutdown in Sambhal tehsil. Within the boundaries of Sambhal Tehsil, schools will also stay closed.
What Happened in Sambhal?
Approximately two dozen people, including top officials and police officers, have been injured, and three people have died so far. A police PRO was shot in the leg, and there were 20 police officers, four senior officers and a constable collector among the badly injured. A magistrate’s investigation into the violence has been ordered, officials stated.
The three deceased were identified as Naeem, Bilal, and Nauman, according to Moradabad divisional commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh.
“A few police officers, including the superintendent of police’s gunner (bodyguard), have also sustained injuries,” he added.
“We had deployed our forces properly in the area according to the letter of the DM for conducting the survey,” Superintendent of Police Krishan Bishnoi explained during a news conference regarding the security measures during the mosque assessment. It is hardly a security or intelligence failure if a community plans overnight and then comes together. We handled it appropriately because it is an eventuality. He went on to say that cops utilised tear gas rounds and pellet guns instead of shooting.
Reason for Violence in Sambhal
In response to court directions, the ASI team went to Shahi Jama Masjid to carry out a new survey. According to officials, the survey, which took place between 7 and 11 a.m., started out amicably with police present. But when a crowd assembled and began throwing stones at the survey team and security guards, the situation became more tense. “Some people started stone-pelting, and the police dispersed them,” Divisional Commissioner Singh told ANI. A larger group of two to three thousand people then assembled and resumed stone-pelting.
Demonstrators threw stones at police personnel and set cars on fire. In response, security personnel used batons and tear gas to scatter the crowd. Officials reported that more than 15 people, including two women, had been arrested for stone-pelting.
Politicians Point of View
Accusing the ruling party, government, and administration of “orchestrating” the Sambhal violence to “divert attention from electoral malpractice,” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav slammed the BJP on Sunday.
A local court ordered the first survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Kotgarvi neighbourhood to be carried out on November 19. The petition claimed that the mosque was constructed in 1529 after a Harihar shrine was demolished. Tensions in Sambhal have been increasing since the survey.
“The court of civil judge (senior division) ordered the constitution of a ‘Advocate Commission’ to survey the mosque,” said Supreme Court attorney Vishnu Shankar Jain, who was a petitioner in the case. The panel was instructed by the court to take pictures and videos while conducting the study and to turn in its findings by the November 29th hearing.
Jain stated on Tuesday that the Sambhal district magistrate, the mosque committee, and the Central and Uttar Pradesh governments are parties to the petition about the mosque.
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Shubhangi Gupta is a distinguished content writer and the visionary founder of The Unpleasant – Acha Nahi Sabse Sacha. With a Master’s degree in Commerce from University of Lucknow, Shubhangi has seamlessly blended her academic background with her passion for reading and writing, embarking on a successful career as a content writer since 2019.
