Sambhal: At least 25 people were arrested and seven cases registered against 400 people after four persons were killed in violence over the survey of a mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal on Sunday.
Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Ziaur Rahman Barq, and his party colleague Iqbal Mahmood’s son Nawab Suhail Iqbal, are among those who have been charged, officials said.
Sambhal witnessed deadly clashes between the locals and the police during a court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid on Sunday morning. The mosque is at the centre of a contentious legal battle over claims that it was built on the site of a Hindu temple.
The protesters also set some vehicles on fire and threw stones at the police, who used tear gas and batons to disperse the mob.
About 20 police personnel were also injured and a constable, who suffered an injury to the head, is said to be critical.
“Due to Barq’s statement earlier, the situation became worse here,” Superintendent of Police Krishan Kumar told a press conference.
He said they were identifying the protestors using drone footage and that the accused would be charged under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).
Yadav, who is a Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj, had on Sunday said the BJP government and the administration orchestrated the violence “to divert attention from electoral malpractice”.
His charge came after the BJP and its ally RLD secured seven of the nine seats in the recently held by-election for nine Uttar Pradesh Assembly constituencies.
