New Delhi: Sambhal district magistrate Dr Rajender Pensiya on Monday accused Jama Masjid Committee chief Zafar Ali of making misleading statements regarding the violent clashes that erupted over the court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era mosque. The violence, which claimed four lives and injured several others, has sparked a political firestorm, with parties trading accusations of communal polarisation.
Pensiya countered Zafar Ali’s claim that the committee was unaware of the survey, saying, “The court order was issued at 2.38pm on November 24, and we reached the mosque by 5–5.30pm. A copy of the advocate commissioner’s order was received and signed by him.”
Four dead in violence
He further questioned Zafar Ali’s account, saying, “Zafar sahib stated he saw police firing. I want to ask him if he was busy getting the survey done or witnessing the firing. The survey was conducted between 10.30 and 10.45am, while the violence occurred between 10 and 11am.”
Tensions had been simmering in Sambhal since the court’s order to survey the mosque, following claims that a Harihar temple once stood at the site. The situation escalated on Sunday when protesters clashed with security forces, torched vehicles, and pelted stones. The violence left four dead, including one person who succumbed to injuries on Monday. Prohibitory orders were imposed, internet services in Sambhal tehsil were suspended, and schools were closed on Monday. A magisterial probe into the incident has been ordered.
The incident has triggered sharp reactions across the political spectrum. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government of orchestrating the violence to divert attention from alleged malpractice in recent bypolls. “The government looted votes in the bypolls and engineered trouble in Sambhal to hide it,” Yadav said, calling for the suspension of officials responsible for the deaths and demanding murder charges against them.
Rahul, Priyanka accuses BJP of deepening communal rifts
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the BJP of deepening communal rifts. Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, criticised the “biased and hasty” actions of the state government, which he alleged worsened the situation and led to deaths.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj described the violence as “pre-planned”, alleging that it was instigated by opposition parties who were shocked by the BJP’s performance in the bypolls. The Vishva Hindu Parishad also blamed “Muslim fundamentalists” for the violence, claiming it was carried out “at the behest of maulanas”.
Superintendent of Police Krishan Kumar revealed that seven FIRs had been registered, naming six individuals, including SP MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq and Sohail Iqbal, son of local SP MLA Iqbal Mehmood, along with 2,750 unnamed persons. Twenty-five people have been arrested so far.
The court-ordered survey, which has become a flashpoint, stems from a petition claiming that a temple was demolished to construct the mosque during the Mughal era. Local Hindu leaders, including Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, have urged the Archaeological Survey of India to take control of the site.
