Samajwadi Party delegation visited Sambhal and handed over Rs 5 lakh to families of victims of violence

Last update:30 Dec 2024, 19:13 IST

The SP delegation’s visit comes amid rising tensions in Sambhal, with allegations of administrative bias and communal tensions at the center of attention.

Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Bark and other leaders during distribution of ‘cheques’ to families of Sambal violence victims (PTI)

A delegation of eleven members of the Samajwadi Party (SP) visited Sambhal on Monday to meet the families of those killed in the recent violence. The delegation expressed its condolences and provided financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the bereaved families in the form of cheques.

Addressing the media, Mata Prasad Pandey, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, lashed out at the Uttar Pradesh government, accusing it of being insensitive to the Muslim community. “This government has no sympathy for Muslims. Their aim is to divide people on communal lines by inciting enmity between Hindus and Muslims for political gain,” he alleged.

Pandey also raised objections to the construction of a police post near the Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid. He questioned the legality of the administration’s seizure of private land without proper investigation or proper compensation. “The police cannot arbitrarily create a post on someone else’s territory. If they need land, they should either compensate the owner or use government land for construction,” he said.

He also questioned the legality of the construction of the pillar, given the heritage status of the mosque according to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Pandey said, “The mosque is protected by the ASI. If no one is allowed to build a house near it, how can the police justify building a post there?”

Accusing the Uttar Pradesh government of electoral malpractices, Pandey claimed to have evidence of voter intimidation during the November 20 by-elections. “Police officers were used to threaten voters and prevent them from casting their vote. I have the minutes of the voting day to prove it,” he stated.

He also criticized the deteriorating law and order situation in the chief minister’s hometown Gorakhpur. “Despite the fact that Yogi Adityanath hails from Gorakhpur, there are daily incidents of shootings in the city. Unemployment and inflation are growing uncontrollably. Instead of addressing these pressing issues, the government is busy distracting the public with false propaganda,” Pandey said.

Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Ziaur Rahman Barq, expressed similar views, accusing the police of acting on baseless assumptions. “Did the police find traces of firearms on people? If our intent was to incite violence, why was there no rioting on the first day of the investigation?” he asked. Bark expressed confidence in the country’s judicial system, saying that “Justice will prevail.”

Bark also claimed that he was personally targeted, citing a fake electricity theft case filed against him to suppress his voice.

Lal Bihari Yadav, another SP leader in the delegation, questioned the police’s handling of the violence. “The police harassed people as they wanted, but why didn’t they open a case for killing five victims of this violence?” he asked.

Yadav also defended the actions of the local Muslim community, saying, “The bricks and stones thrown by people were acts of self-defence.”

The SP delegation’s visit comes amid rising tensions in Sambhal, with allegations of administrative bias and communal tensions at the center of attention.

Violence erupted in Sambhal on November 24 when a team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) arrived to investigate the Mughal-era mosque. During the violence and actions of the police, five people died, several more were injured. The police reported that a total of 50 people were detained in connection with the violence.

(This story was not edited by News18 staff and was published from the syndicated news agency channel – IANS)