Sambhal, the Northern Indian city is on V after the death of four people and dozens injured in violent clashes over the survey of a century-old mosque. Violent clashes broke out between the police and gangs protesting during a court-monitored survey of theShahiJama Masjid (mosque). It is a federally protected monument from the 16th century.
Sambhal is located in Uttar Pradesh and authorities in the state have registered four cases of violence already. The authorities have also suspended internet services and shut down schools in the area. A local court ordered the survey last week, just hours after a petition filed in the court claimed that the mosque was built on the site of a destroyed temple. Several videos and images of the clashes were shared on social media platforms and they show slippers, bricks, and stones being thrown around the mosque. According to protesters, four men were shot dead during the clashes by the policemen, but the authorities have denied this. “No weapons were used that could take anyone’s life,” Superintendent of Police Krishan Kumar told the Hindu newspaper.
This current issue with the ShahiJama Masjid is the latest in a series of clashes around mosques in the country. Hindu groups have claimed that Mughal rules in their times have destroyed many temples to build their mosques. Legal cases filed around this issue are currently fought by Muslim groups in various courts around the country.
Since Tuesday, tensions have been brewing in Sambhal after a video-recorded survey of the Jama Masjid by a local court. The court ordered the survey just hours after a petition was filed claiming that Mughal emperor Babur destroyed the Hari Har temple in the 1520s and the mosque was built. Authorities in the state conducted an initial survey on the same day, governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A wide section of Muslims from the area have protested against this. The protesters alleged that they were not given any prior notice of the survey. They have also questioned the court’s urgency on the matter.
