Clashes erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district on Sunday morning after a group of Muslims opposed a court-ordered survey of a mosque, India Today reported.
Hundreds of protestors gathered at the Shahi Jama Masjid in the Chandausi town to oppose the survey, which was being conducted to investigate claims that a Hindu temple had existed at the site before the mosque was built in 1526.
Members of the mob threw stones at surveyors, who were accompanied by police personnel. The police fired tear gas shells to force the crowd to disperse.
A video released by PTI showed a group of men and young boys throwing stones and slippers at police personnel. Superintendent of Police Krishan Bishnoi was heard appealing to them to not ruin their future “by falling into politicians’ traps”.
The head of the Jama Masjid also made an announcement from inside the mosque urging people to disperse. The violence, however, continued despite the appeal, according to India Today.
Despite the violence, Advocate Commissioner Ramesh Chand Raghav completed the survey, and the process was recorded through photographs and videos. The survey is to be presented before a local court on November 29.
A Hindu priest named Rishi Raj Giri had on November 21 moved an application before the court, alleging that Muslim rulers built the mosque in 1526 after demolishing a temple. The court ordered the survey in response to the application.
Just hours later on November 21, a survey team went to the mosque to begin the exercise and was met with protests.
Zafar Ali, the lawyer for the mosque administration, said the survey was carried out in a hurried manner although the court had sought a report by November 29. He said that the mosque officials would challenge the court order if needed.
Sambal MP Zia ur Rahman Barq had told The Indian Express at the time that Muslims had been offering prayers at the mosque for several centuries. “We have the right to move the High Court if we do not get a satisfactory order from the local court,” he had said.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused the BJP and the administration of orchestrating the incident to prevent any discussion about “election fraud”, reported ANI.
“In the morning, a survey team was sent to disrupt the environment so that no one could discuss the elections,” Yadav said at a press conference. “During this clash, many young people were injured, and one even lost his life. If the survey had already been conducted, why did the government conduct another survey, that too early in the morning and without preparation? What happened in Sambhal was orchestrated by the BJP and the administration to prevent any discussion on the election fraud.”
The Samajwadi Party had alleged on Wednesday that citizens were being prevented from voting in at least four of the nine Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh where bye-elections were underway.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance on Saturday won seven out of the nine Assembly bye-elections in Uttar Pradesh. The Samajwadi Party reiterated its allegations that voters were stopped from casting their ballots.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said action would be taken against those who attempted to hinder the survey in Sambhal.
“It is the duty of the government and the police to follow the instruction of the court and whoever hinders this, action will be taken against them,” Maurya told ANI.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ameeque Jamei alleged that the BJP was “working to spread poison in Hindu-Muslim society”.
“For the past week, the issue of the Sambhal mosque has been reignited, allegedly at the prompting of the police administration and the BJP government,” Jamei told ANI. “Even after the Ram Mandir and Babri Masjid dispute, BJP has again begun its ‘game’ just right after the elections.”
Director General of Police Prashant Kumar told the news agency that the situation had been brought under control. “Police and senior officers are present on the spot…[they] will identify the stone pelters and take appropriate legal action,” he said.