UP: 3 killed in clashes over Sambhal mosque survey; 10 detained

Three people were killed and scores of others, including around 20 security personnel, were injured as protesters opposing a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal clashed with the police on Sunday (November 24).

The protesters torched vehicles and pelted stones at the police, who used tear gas and batons to disperse the mob.

“Shots were fired by the miscreants... the PRO of the superintendent of police suffered a gunshot to the leg, the police circle officer was hit by pellets and 15 to 20 security personnel were injured in the violence,” Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh told the media.

He said a constable also suffered a serious head injury while the deputy collector fractured his leg.

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Three deaths

“Three people, identified as Naeem, Bilal, and Nauman, have been killed,” Singh said, adding that preparations were underway for their post-mortem examination.

Ten people, including two women, have been detained and a probe has been launched, an official said, adding some people even set afire some motorcycles parked on the roadside. “We are investigating where the shots were fired from, particularly in the Deepa Sarai area,” the official said.

He added that the accused in the violence would be booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).

What caused trouble?

Tension had been brewing in Sambhal since Tuesday when the Jama Masjid was surveyed on the orders of a local court following a petition that claimed that a Harihar temple stood at the site.

According to the local administration, a second survey by an “Advocate Commissioner” as part of a court-ordered examination into the disputed site started around 7 am and a crowd began gathering there.

“Some miscreants in the crowd pelted stones at the police team. The police used minor force and tear gas to bring the situation under control,” Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi said.

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He said those who engaged in stone pelting and those who incited them will be identified and action taken against them.

Situation under control

District Magistrate Rajendra Pesia said, “Some miscreants resorted to stone pelting but the situation is peaceful now and the survey is underway.”

Uttar Pradesh police chief Prashant Kumar told PTI that the situation was under control in Sambhal.

“We are monitoring everything. All police and civil administration officials are handling the situation on the spot. They are patrolling those areas. Anti-social elements will be identified very soon and strict action will be taken against them,” the Director General of Police (DGP) said.

Videos of youths throwing stones at police, purportedly near the site of the survey in Sambhal have surfaced on the Internet.

Mosque survey

Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is a petitioner in the case, had said the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) ordered the constitution of an “Advocate Commission” to survey the mosque.

The court has said that a report should be filed after conducting a videography and photography survey through the commission, he had said.

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The Central and Uttar Pradesh governments, the mosque committee and the district magistrate of Sambhal have been made parties in the petition concerning the mosque, Jain said last Tuesday.

Vishnu Shankar Jain and his father Hari Shankar Jain have represented the Hindu side in many cases related to places of worship, including the Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute.

Baburnama, Ain-e-Akbari cited in plea

Gopal Sharma, a local lawyer for the Hindu side, told PTI on Friday that in his petition filed in the court, he mentioned that Baburnama and the Ain-e-Akbari have confirmed that a Harihar temple was at the site where the Jama Masjid now stands.

He also claimed that the temple was demolished by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1529.

Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq had objected to the developments.

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“The Jama Masjid of Sambhal is historical and very old. The Supreme Court had given the order in 1991 that whatever religious places are there in whatever condition since 1947, they will remain in their places,” he had said.

The next date for hearing in this case is January 29.

Akhilesh calls it “orchestrated”

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged the violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district over the survey of a mosque was "orchestrated" by the BJP, the government and the administration "to divert attention from electoral malpractice".

A day after the Uttar Pradesh bypoll results were declared and the Samajwadi Party managed to win just two seats, while the BJP and its ally RLD bagged the other seven, Yadav levelled serious allegations against the police and administration.

"A serious incident occurred in Sambhal. A survey team was deliberately sent in the morning to disrupt discussions about the elections. The intention was to create chaos so that no debate on election issues could happen," the Samajwadi Party chief claimed.

Citing reports, he said several people were injured in the violence in Sambhal and asked when a survey of the mosque was already done, why was a new survey conducted again and "that too in the morning and without preparation?"

"I don't want to go into the legal or procedural aspects, but the other side was not even heard. This was intentionally done to provoke emotions and avoid discussions on election rigging," Yadav said.

BJP takes swipe at Opposition

The BJP took a swipe at the Opposition over the violence, alleging that the “ghamandia alliance” has been trying to stoke unrest since the Lok Sabha poll results but it will not succeed.

BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said no one can claim that it is his constitutional right to break the law or throw stones to stop a court order from being implemented. “Nobody has any right to break the law. If a court has passed an order, it will be implemented. Judicial process is available for those who want the order amended,” he said.

Another BJP spokesperson Ajay Alok alleged that it is a deliberate attempt to cause instability, blaming the "ghamandia alliance" for it.

(With agency inputs)