Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged that the recent violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal was part of a “well-planned” conspiracy orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Yadav made these remarks in Parliament, raising concerns about the deaths and injuries resulting from police firing during a protest against the high-handedness of law enforcement.
Sambhal has been under scrutiny since November 19, when a survey was conducted at the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid on court orders, following claims that a Harihar temple once stood on the site. The situation escalated on November 24, during a second survey, when clashes erupted between protesters and security personnel, leading to four fatalities and several injuries, as PTI reported.
Yadav, speaking in the Lok Sabha, accused the police of using both official and personal weapons, killing innocent people after some locals pelted stones at officers. He also demanded the suspension of the officials involved and the registration of a murder case to prevent such incidents from recurring.
While the issue was raised in both the Lok Sabha by Akhilesh Yadav and the Rajya Sabha by his uncle, Ram Gopal Yadav, opposition parties staged a walkout after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar ruled certain parts of Ram Gopal’s statement would not be recorded.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Congress announced that Rahul Gandhi, along with five other Congress MPs from the state, will visit Sambhal on December 4. Newly-elected Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also expected to join the delegation. However, the district administration has imposed curbs under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which restricts the entry of outsiders into Sambhal until December 31.
Also Read:Sambhal mosque row: Authorities extends ban on outsider’s entry till December 10
Sambhal’s Superintendent of Police, Krishan Kumar, warned that anyone violating the curbs would be served a notice. Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav pointed out that the police action was a direct violation of constitutional principles, accusing the administration of acting in a dictatorial manner.
He also slammed the Centre for not following due process during the mosque survey and suggested that communal tensions across the country could be aggravated by such actions. This talk of digging up religious sites will hurt the unity and brotherhood of the country, Yadav said.
In a related development, SP MLA from Sambhal, Iqbal Mahmood, visited the families of the deceased and expressed solidarity. Mahmood reiterated the demand for a judicial inquiry into the incident, calling for an investigation by a sitting high court judge.
Also Read:SC halts proceedings in Sambhal Mosque dispute, asks UP govt to maintain peace in violence-hit town
Meanwhile, Maulana Tauqeer Raza, president of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IEMC), also weighed in on the situation, suggesting that the excavation of religious sites should be abandoned for the sake of national unity, advocating for development instead.
As tensions continue to mount, the Samajwadi Party has vowed to raise the issue further in Parliament and the state assembly, with a delegation set to visit Sambhal after December 10.
(With PTI Inputs)
9