This was the first riot that Uttar Pradesh witnessed in the last 10 years.
New Delhi: A day after results of the Assembly Elections were announced in Maharashtra and Jharkhand where the BJP secured a massive victory in the former, the saffron party-ruled Uttar Pradesh witnessed violent clashes in Sambhal in which four people lost their lives while more than two dozen sustained injuries. This was the first riot that the state witnessed in the last 10 years.
Violence broke out during a court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era Jama Masjid on Sunday, following a petition by senior advocate Vishnu Shanker Jain who claimed the mosque was originally a temple.
This is not the first time the advocate is representing the Hindu side as he and his father Hari Shankar Jain are well-known names in legal matters related to Hinduism.
To prevent further violence, internet services were suspended across the district for a day while the administration prohibited the locals from stockpiling stones, soda bottles or other potential projectiles on their rooftops.
Given the tense situation and the violent clashes that happened in Sambhal on Sunday where the mob opened fire and pelted stones at the police party, schools remained shut while mobile internet remained suspended.
It is pertinent to note here that on Sunday morning, tension flared near Shahi Jama Masjid as the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) carried out a court-mandated survey.
A sizable crowd gathered, chanting slogans, pelting stones, and attempting to set vehicles on fire.
Significantly, the clashes happened a day after the BJP secured a massive victory in the UP byelections by bagging seven out of nine seats, while the Samajwadi Party won the remaining two seats.
SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Monday blamed the Yogi Adityanath government for orchestrating a “riot” in Sambhal and demanded that the police as well as those from the administration responsible for the deaths be suspended and murder cases be filed against them.
His comments came after police filed seven FIRs in connection with the violence over a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque and named SP MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq and local SP MLA Iqbal Mehmood’s son Sohail Iqbal as accused.
SP has blamed the Yogi government and Vishwa Hindu Parishad for these clashes.
Talking to The Sunday Guardian, VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain said “This is the first such riots in a decade that we witnessed in Uttar Pradesh. This did not happen on its own. It was a well planned conspiracy. How were people all prepared to attack the team that went to Jama Masjid on a court mandated order? It was a pre-planned strategy.”
He further added that “Why these riots happened just after the announcement of the results and before the beginning of the Parliament’s Winter Session? Hence, this is deliberately being planned by Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav to create unrest. Such leaders can do anything just for the sake of power. If the people wanted to protest, they would’ve gone to the higher court. But they chose violence. And I fear that more such clashes will happen in the future.”
Notably, the Jama Masjid survey followed a court directive responding to claims that a Harihar temple previously stood on the site.