Sambhal violence: Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav slammed the UP government (File).
New Delhi:
The incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal was a “well-planned conspiracy aimed at hurting communal harmony”, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said in the Lok Sabha Tuesday, amid continuing protests by the opposition over violence linked to a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque.
Mr Yadav declared a survey of the mosque could hurt India’s ‘Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb‘.
“Those who want to dig everywhere will, one day, lose the brotherhood of the country,” he said, directing his ire (without taking names) at the Bharatiya Janata Party in power at the centre and in UP, where Hindu petitioners want mosques demolished on grounds they were built over temples.
Mr Yadav’s angry remarks followed a brief walkout by opposition MPs, including the Congress’ Rahul Gandhi. Once they returned, the ex-UP Chief Minister stood up to address the House.
“This is a very serious matter… five people lost their lives,” he began before Speaker Om Birla interrupted, triggering more protests and chaos; some Samajwadi MPs rushed the Well and A Raja of Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was seen calling on colleagues to join the protest.
A phalanx of opposition lawmakers stood up to back Mr Yadav, including those from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party group.
Once a measure of order was restored, Akhilesh Yadav began his fiery speech.
“This government does not believe in the Constitution,” he thundered, pointing to the postponement of nine bypolls earlier this month from November 13 to the 20th, a day after an initial survey.
#WATCH | On the Sambhal issue, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav says “…The incident that took place in Sambhal is a well-planned conspiracy…By-elections were supposed to be held in Uttar Pradesh on 13th November but it was postponed to 20th November…This Govt does not… pic.twitter.com/vOadrWMNgo
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2024
A civil court in Sambhal passed an ex-parte order on November 19 after a plea by Hindu petitioners that the mosque was built by Mughal emperor Babul in 1526 after demolishing a temple.
“Bypolls were supposed to be held on November 13 but it was postponed to November 20. (Then) a petition was filed against the Shahi Jama Masjid and a survey order was passed even before listening to the other side. On November 19 the survey was conducted…” Akhilesh Yadav told Parliament.
“And, on November 24, another survey was conducted. People gathered to know the reason but a Circle Officer abused them and a lathi charge was done. After this, police opened fire with government-issued and private weapons,” Mr Yadav alleged, according to news agency ANI.
“Dozens were injured and five innocent people were killed… A murder case should be filed against the police and administration, and they should be suspended so people can get justice.”
Akhilesh Yadav last week also ripped into the Sambhal administration after a delegation from his party was stopped from visiting the area. “If the administration can be this strict today, what was it doing on the day of violence? As long as this government is in power, there will be no justice.”
READ | “He Was Out Buying Oil”: Brother Of Man Killed In Sambhal
The SP has announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of each person who died, and demanded the UP government give an additional sum of Rs 25 lakh to each family.
READ | SP Team Stopped From Visiting Sambhal, Akhilesh Yadav Reacts
The Sambhal violence has triggered a massive political row, with opposition MPs also red-flagging a similar situation brewing over the Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the newly elected Wayanad rep, both slammed the state government.
The issue has also reached the Supreme Court, which on Friday halted survey action and directed the mosque’s management committee to approach the Allahabad High Court.
“Peace and harmony must be ensured. We will keep this pending. We do not want anything to happen. We have to be absolutely neutral…” a bench led by the new Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, said.
READ | “Want Peace, Harmony”: Top Court Halts Action Any Sambhal Mosque
Meanwhile, the UP government has named a three-member panel to investigate the riots, in connection with which police have filed charges against Ziaur Barq, the Samajwadi Party’s Sambhal MP.
READ | UP Mosque Violence Spontaneous Or Planned? Questions For Panel
The government panel, sources have said, will examine four questions – a) was the violence spontaneous or the result of a criminal conspiracy? b) what arrangements were made by the police? c) what led to the violence, and d) what can be done to prevent such an incident being repeated?
With input from agencies
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