Sambhal: Case against Samajwadi MP, MLA's son over deadly mosque survey clashes

Sambhal violence: Opposition parties blamed the BJP for inciting violence through a mosque survey, while the BJP accused the INDIA alliance of fomenting unrest since the Lok Sabha poll failure.

In Short

• Prohibitory orders imposed, schools shut on Monday, internet suspended
• 4 killed, scores injured, including 20 cops; over 20 arrested
• Congress alleges BJP conspiracy, BJP accuses Congress of inciting violence

Schools are closed today, mobile internet has been suspended and large gatherings are banned in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal day after hundreds protesting against a court-ordered survey of a mosque clashed with the police, resulting in the deaths of four people and several, including cops, being injured.

A case has been registered against Sambhal MP and Samajwadi Party leader Ziaur Rahman Barq and Sohail Iqbal, the son of local MLA Iqbal Mehmood who is also from Akhilesh Yadav's party. The two have been accused of orchestrating violence, mobilising crowds, and provoking unrest, officials said.

SAMBHAL VIOLENCE | LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

1. Violence broke out on Sunday after protesters opposed a survey of the local Shahi Masjid conducted by a court-appointed Advocate Commission following a petition claiming that Mughal-era mosque was constructed by demolishing a temple at the site. The crowd threw stones and set vehicles on fire prompting the police to respond with tear gas shells. The tension that began at 7 am continued for hours.
2. Four people died in the clashes; they have been identified as Nauman, Bilal, Naim, and Mohd Kaif. While there are allegations that the victims sustained bullet injuries, the police have said that the exact cause of death will be confirmed after autopsy.
3. Police said that shots were fired by some protesters and a police officer suffered a gunshot wound to his leg. Another officer was hit by pellets and 15 to 20 security personnel were injured in the violence. Another cop suffered a serious head injury, while the deputy collector fractured his leg.
4. Videos showed protesters throwing stones at cops from buildings in front of the Shahi Jama Masjid. Later, police personnel were allegedly seen cornering and hitting people as they tried to disperse a large crowd in a narrow alleyway.
5. The district administration suspended mobile internet services Sunday evening for 24 hours. All schools and colleges are shut today, and prohibitory orders banning large public gatherings are in place. The administration has also banned purchasing or stockpiling stones, soda bottles, or any flammable or explosive materials. Any outsider, social organisation or public representative has also been banned from entering the area without permission till November 30.
6. A political blame game started after the clashes, with opposition parties slamming the BJP. 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. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the BJP, accusing its government of orchestrating the violence "to divert attention from electoral malpractice". He also dismissed the charges against party MP Barq, stating that he was away in Bengaluru at the time of the incident.
7. The BJP shot back alleging that the INDIA alliance had been trying to create unrest since the failure in the Lok Sabha polls. It said that those who do not agree with judicial orders should take legal recourse. A party spokesperson blamed what he called the "ghamandia alliance" (an alliance full of arrogance), a term BJP leaders have often used for the INDIA bloc, for the violence.
8. Tension has been brewing in Sambhal since November 19, when the Jama Masjid was surveyed on the orders of a local court following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple once stood at the site. Police stated that the first survey was incomplete, prompting a second survey on Sunday. However, amid violence, the Advocate Commissioner completed the survey on Sunday.
9. A magisterial enquiry will be conducted into the incident, officials said. Among the twenty-one people detained are two women, and officials said that those accused in the violence would be booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).
10. Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is a petitioner in the case, urged the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to take control of the "temple". Gopal Sharma, a local lawyer for the Hindu side, claimed that the temple that once stood at the site was demolished by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1529.