The police responded with tear fuel to disperse the mob.
Sambhal, UP:
Chaos erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal this morning as a court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era Jama Masjid led to violent clashes between the locals and the police, resulting in the deaths of three people. The mosque is on the centre of a contentious authorized battle over claims that it was constructed on the positioning of a Hindu temple. The colleges in Sambhal and close by areas have been shut until November 25.
The violence, police mentioned, began when a crowd gathered close to the mosque because the survey staff, led by an “Advocate Commissioner,” started its work.
The crowd swelled to just about a thousand folks, and so they tried to stop the police from getting into the mosque. Some folks within the crowd threw stones on the police personnel stationed on the web site. The mob additionally set ablaze greater than ten automobiles.
The police responded with tear fuel. In the chaos, two individuals have been killed and over 30 police personnel have been injured.
“Three folks recognized as Naeem, Bilal and Nauman have been killed. Some policemen together with the gunner of the superintendent of police have additionally been injured,” Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh was quoted as saying by information company Press Trust of India.
The survey, which started at 7:30 am, was a part of a course of initiated by a petition claiming {that a} temple as soon as stood instead of the mosque.
Tensions have been simmering in Sambhal since the same survey was carried out on Tuesday. The petitioners argue that historic texts similar to “Baburnamah” and “Ain-e-Akbari” doc the destruction of the temple by Mughal emperor Babur in 1529.
Supporters of the survey argue that it’s a obligatory step in uncovering historic truths, whereas critics view it as a provocation that violates the sanctity of non secular locations as upheld by the Places of Worship Act, 1991.
“Some people within the crowd threw stones on the police staff. The police used minor pressure and tear fuel to deliver the scenario beneath management. Those concerned within the violence will likely be recognized and motion will likely be taken,” mentioned Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi.
Moradabad Police Commissioner Ananjay Kumar Singh mentioned 15 folks, three ladies amongst them, have been arrested in reference to the incident. Videos circulating on-line purportedly present the throwing of stones close to the mosque.
Despite the unrest, officers accomplished the survey as deliberate. Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain mentioned the survey staff carried out an in depth examination of the positioning, supported by videography and images as per the courtroom’s directives. The survey report is scheduled to be submitted by November 29.
The incident has sparked a wave of political and group reactions.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi posted a video on X of law enforcement officials straight firing through the violence, elevating questions on the function of the police. In the video, DIG Range Muniraj is seen firing a pistol and is heard asking the policemen to fireplace. The Sambhal police have denied firing. NDTV has not been capable of confirm the video independently.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP-led authorities of orchestrating the unrest to distract from allegations of electoral malpractice in latest bypolls.
संभल में शांति की अपील के साथ ही ये भी अपील है कि कोई भी इंसाफ़ की उम्मीद न छोड़े। नाइंसाफ़ी का हुक्म ज़्यादा दिन नहीं चलता सरकार बदलेगी और न्याय का युग आएगा। pic.twitter.com/XE99C72zw9
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) November 24, 2024
“The Supreme Court ought to instantly take cognizance of the conspiracy to unfold pressure within the identify of survey and a case of disturbing peace and concord ought to be registered in opposition to those that took sloganeers with them with the intention of disturbing social concord and the Bar Association also needs to take disciplinary and punitive motion in opposition to them. There was no hope from the UP authorities and administration, neither is there any now,” learn a tough translation of one other of his posts on X, previously Twitter.
SP MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq additionally criticised the survey, citing the Places of Worship Act, 1991. “The Jama Masjid of Sambhal is a historic web site. The Supreme Court had dominated that non secular locations as they existed in 1947 should stay unchanged,” Mr Barq mentioned.
(With inputs from Rajat Malhotra)