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3 dead in clashes over mosque survey in UP
Violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal city over a mosque survey led to three deaths and many injuries after clashes between protesters and police.
At least three people were killed and dozens, including security personnel, injured after protesters opposing a court-ordered survey of a mosque clashed with police in the Sambhal city of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, officials aware of the matter said.
Tension was brewing in the area since Tuesday after a civil court directed the advocate commissioner to conduct a survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid. The court order came on a petition filed by advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain and six others, claiming that the mosque was built after razing a Hindu temple in 1529. An “initial survey” of the mosque was held the same day.
Accompanied by police personnel, the survey team comprising court-appointed advocate commissioner Ramesh Raghav, district magistrate Rajendra Pensiya and superintendent of police Krishna Kumar Vishnoiand others, reached the disputed site on Sunday morning to conduct a second inspection of the mosque. As the team began the survey, a crowd gathered outside the mosque and started raising slogans, Moradabad divisional commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said. He added that the mob pelted police with stones, prompting the personnel to use “mild force” to disperse the crowd. The situation worsened after that as the protesters resorted to arson and firing, Singh said.
“The survey was proceeding peacefully until a group of people gathered near the mosque and began raising slogans. When the police attempted to clear the area, a group of miscreants in the crowd started pelting stones, and the police dispersed them. Then, a larger mob of 2,000-3,000 people gathered and started stone-pelting again after the survey was completed. Another group started setting vehicles on fire and also began firing,” Singh said.
Three men—Naeem, Bilal, and Nauman —died of gunshot wounds as the violence spread. Their full names and ages were not immediately available.
“Shots were fired by the miscreants. A bullet hit the PRO of the superintendent of police in the leg. Three people, identified as Naeem, Bilal, and Nauman, were killed in the firing. We are investigating where the shots were fired from,” Singh said, adding that the bodies of the deceased were sent for post-mortem examination.
Zafar Ali, the chief of the Shahi Mosque Committee, said a crowd started gathering near the mosque, adding that the police also fired in the air during the clash with protesters.
“The survey went on peacefully for about two hours. Meanwhile, a rumour began spreading, after which a crowd gathered there and started throwing stones. A few vehicles were set on fire. Police and protesters then clashed, and security personnel resorted to lathi charge, firing of tear gas shells and also bullets in the air,” he said.
Jamiat-Ulama-e-Hind (Mahmood Madani) city president Hafiz Shahid blamed the police for the casualties. “The situation worsened after police baton-charged the crowd, and they reacted with stone-pelting. Police then fired bullets,” he said.
Singh, however, denied that the police opened fire and said that the personnel only fired rubber bullets. “If someone has evidence of it (police firing), then they should provide it to the officials,” he said.
Located in the heart of the city in the Kotgarvi locality, the Shahi Jama Masjid is an important religious and historical site for the Muslim community. It is believed to have been constructed around the 16th century by Mir Hindu Beg, a Mughal general. The mosque is a protected monument notified on December 22, 1920 under section 3, subsection (3) of the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904. It figures on ASI’s website (Moradabad division) in the list of centrally protected monuments.
The Sambhal court’s survey order opened the latest in a litany of controversies surrounding Muslim places of worship that some right-wing activists say were built after demolishing temples during the Mughal era. Jain is also a petitioner in the Gynavapi case, and it was on his plea that a Varanasi court on April 8, 2022) ordered a survey of the mosque complex abutting the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
To be sure, The Places of Worship (special provisions) Act 1991 prohibits conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947.
Officials said that a second inspection of the mosque was required as the “initial survey”, which was held on Tuesday evening in the presence of DM Pensiya and district police chief Krishan Kumar, could not be completed. “The survey was not completed on November 19 due to dim light. Therefore, the team arrived again on Sunday morning to complete the survey,” Sambhal district magistrate Rajendra Pensia said.
Singh said that around “15 to 20 security personnel” were also injured in Sunday’s violence. Uttar Pradesh police chief Prashant Kumar said the situation was now under control.
“We have taken 20 people into custody. The survey was conducted as per court orders, with adequate police deployment at the site. Some individuals made children stand in front and started pelting stones at the police,” Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Moradabad Range, Muniraj G, said.
Additional troops have been deployed in the area andmobileinternet services were suspended for 24 hours along with a closure of schools and colleges. “Strict action will be initiated against those found spreading rumours and inciting people. Rioters are being identified through videos and the perpetrators of violence will be booked under National Security act (NSA),” SP superintendent of police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi said.
A political tussle also broke out over the violence, with Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav accusing the state government and district administration of orchestrating the clashes in order to divert attention from the “malpractices” during the recently held bypolls.
“A survey team was deliberately sent in the morning to disrupt discussions about the elections. The intention was to create chaos so that no debate on election issues could happen. What happened in Sambhal was orchestrated by the BJP, the government and the administration to divert attention from electoral malpractices,” he said in a press conference in Lucknow. On Saturday, the NDA won seven of the nine assembly seats where bypolls were held.
Congress leader Pawan Khera said Adityanath’s administration has “once again shown a blatant disregard for communal harmony”. “In this entire matter, the BJP neither wanted the survey to proceed nor to stop it; its sole objective was to destroy harmony,” he said.
The BJP rejected the charge and said people have to abide by the order of a court. “It is reprehensible to disobey the order given by the court. Failure to follow the court’s order is a big crime... Under Yogi Adityanath’s rule, everyone has to live according to law and order, despite their class or status in society,” UP minister Yogendra Upadhyay said.
