On Sunday, violence erupted in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, after police who reached to conduct a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid mosque faced violent resistance. Following the stone-pelting and car-torched mobs threw stones and set cars ablaze, the crowd was dispersed by tear gas and lathi-charge, as per reports. The officials confirmed that the survey was completed despite the violence, and the team was safely led out.
A local court ordered the survey after Supreme Court attorney Vishnu Shankar Jain filed a petition, which mentioned that the mosque was built on the remains of the Harihar temple, said to have been destroyed by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1529. As part of the investigation, the court had instructed an “Advocate Commission” to take pictures and videos at the location.
The administration claims that under strict security, the survey got underway early on Sunday morning. “Some miscreants emerged from the crowd gathered near the site and threw stones at the police team,” said Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi. Tear gas and light force were employed by the police to control the situation.
The police have promised to act strictly against perpetrators who resorted to the unrest. Sambhal SP Krishna Kumar said that the offenders would be traced through drone footage and the CCTV recordings, and cases would be filed under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). “The stone pelters have tried to target the police personnel by putting their vehicles on fire. Action will be taken under NSA,” he asserted.
District Magistrate Rajendra Pesia, who confirmed the restoration of peace, added that additional security forces had been deployed to ensure peace.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ameeque Jamei accused the BJP of using the survey to provoke communal tensions. He pointed to the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which bars changes to the religious status of sites as they stood on August 15, 1947, except for the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case. “Exactly after the elections, the BJP has started its game once again. This is not good for the integrity of this nation,” Jamei said.
BSP Chief Mayawati condemned the violence, blaming the administration for failing to handle the situation sensitively. “This work should have been done peacefully by taking both parties together. The UP government and administration are completely responsible for this ruckus,” she said.
Muslim leaders, including Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, appealed for calm and urged Muslims to rely on legal measures to defend their claims over the mosque. “Stone pelting and vandalism are not appropriate. The Jama Masjid is ours, and we will fight for it through the law,” he said.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya and State Minister Jaiveer Singh vowed strict action against those obstructing the survey. Singh accused the perpetrators of disregarding the Constitution and court orders, warning, “Such hooliganism will not be tolerated.”
Claims that the Shahi Jama Masjid was constructed on top of the Harihar temple’s ruins are at the heart of the controversy. To bolster these assertions, Gopal Sharma, a lawyer for the Hindu side, cited passages from books like “Baburnama” and “Ain-e-Akbari”. The purpose of the court-ordered survey is to record the location and offer proof in support of the ongoing legal dispute.
ALSO READ: Customer Smashes Ola Scooter With Hammer After Receiving Rs 90K Bill, Video Goes Viral | Watch
