SP, BJP spar over Sambhal violence; Akhilesh calls it a 'riot orchestrated by govt'

Riot by government

Terming the Sambhal incident as a ‘riot done by the government", SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government of orchestrating the violence "to divert attention from electoral malpractice".

Yadav told reporters outside Parliament that SP MP Zia ur Rahman Barq was not even in Sambhal during the incident and he was being blamed for the violence. He was away in Bengaluru at the time of the incident, he said.

“Despite that, a case was registered against him. From all the videos we have, we know it was a riot by the government," said Yadav, whose party has traditionally enjoyed strong support in Sambhal

Also read: Rahul blames UP’s BJP govt for Sambhal deaths, seeks SC intervention

BJP blames 'ghamandia alliance'

The BJP countered this by alleging that the INDIA alliance has been trying to create unrest since their drubbing in the Lok Sabha bypolls. The saffron party, along with its ally RJD, which won seven out of the nine seats in the UP bypolls, said that those who do not agree with judicial orders should take legal recourse.

A party spokesperson blamed the "ghamandia alliance" (an alliance full of arrogance), which is what they often call the INDIA bloc, for the violence.

Meanwhile, Barq held the police responsible for the violence and called it a "part of a conspiracy". "A murder case should be registered against them (police personnel) and action should be taken because they fired from private arms and not government arms," he said.

"Muslims were targeted and killed as part of a conspiracy," the SP leader added. Congress alleged that the police directly fired on the protesters, describing it as the "horrifying result of a well-planned conspiracy" by the BJP-RSS.

Also read: Sambhal violence: Death toll rises to 4; 7 FIRs filed

Internet services suspended

Meanwhile, even as a political blame game is going on, Internet services have been suspended in Sambhal for 24 hours and schools hvae been shut on Monday for all students up to Class 12.

Any 'outsider', social organization or public representative have been barred from entering Sambhal without the orders of the authorities till November 30.

At least 25 people were arrested and seven cases registered against 400 people after the violence. Among the people who have been charged are Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Ziaur Rahman Barq, and his party colleague Iqbal Mahmood's son Nawab Suhail Iqbal.

Among the people detained by the police in the Sambhal violence, two are women. According to officials, the accused will be booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).

Brewing tension

Tension has been brewing in Sambhal since November 19, when the Jama Masjid was surveyed on the orders of a local court after a petition was filed claiming that a Harihar temple once stood at the site.

Since the first survey of the mosque was incomplete, a second survey was held on Sunday. However, amid violence, the survey team on Sunday conducted a detailed examination of the site, supported by videography and photography as per the court's directives. The survey report is scheduled to be submitted by November 29.

Gopal Sharma, a local lawyer, claimed that the temple that once stood at the site was demolished by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1529. Critics view this demand for a survey as a provocation that violates the sanctity of religious places as upheld by the Places of Worship Act, 1991.