SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleges that Yogi government 'orchestrated' Sambhal violence

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. File Pic

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, of orchestrating a "riot" in Sambhal, reported news agency PTI.

Reports indicate that the police have registered seven FIRs connected to the violence and named SP MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq and the son of local MLA Iqbal Mehmood, Sohail Iqbal as accused.

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Tragically, four individuals have lost their lives due to the clashes, sparking outrage and demands for accountability.

Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the government's actions were a deliberate distraction from alleged electoral malpractice during recent bypolls in Uttar Pradesh.

He said that the administration engaged in vote manipulation and that the recent violence was a facade to cover up these malpractices.

"Some people say that after watching 'The Sabarmati Report' movie, some BJP leaders thought that they also want to become a big leader and have gotten this done (in Sambhal)," he stated, drawing a controversial parallel to the film based on the Godhra incident.

"The incident that has happened is unfortunate. When our MP Zia-ur-Rehman was not even in Sambhal, why has an FIR been filed against him," he said after after meeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla along with MPs of his party.

Yadav emphasized the unfortunate loss of young lives, stating, "It is sad that such young people have lost their lives. Information was being hidden... then I had said Naeem had lost his life due to shooting by the police. You have all the videos. This riot has been orchestrated by the government."

"The officials without reading the order reached there for the survey. Masjid's committee, ulemas, peoples representatives, all cooperated. The survey was completed that day...who gave the orders for a second survey. The masjid committee and others again cooperated. When people gathered outside the mosque and asked why the survey was needed, the circle officer abused them," Yadav claimed.

Yadav called for the suspension of police and administrative officials involved in the incident, urging that murder charges be filed against them.

"Some people pelted stones, to which police opened fire... Those responsible for vitiating Sambhal's environment and filing this petition along with the police and administration be held responsible, they should be suspended and murder cases be filed so that people can get justice," Yadav said.

Further, he expressed concerns over the fairness of the electoral process, alleging that Muslims were obstructed from voting and that the Election Commission's responses were inadequate.

"Muslims were stopped from voting. When we complained to the Election Commission, just as an eyewash they took action against a few officials. They should be asked why action was taken. Our MP was in Bengaluru," said the SP chief.

In light of the violence, the district administration has imposed prohibitory orders in Sambhal, restricted the entry of outsiders till Saturday, suspended internet services in the tehsil, and declared a holiday for schools for Monday.

Three of the four killed in the violence were all aged above 25 and identified as Naeem, Bilal and Nauman and scores of others, including security personnel and administration officials, injured on Sunday as protesters opposing the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid clashed with police. A fourth injured person died on Monday, stated PTI.

The unrest in Sambhal erupted on Tuesday after a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, a Mughal-era mosque, following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple had stood at the site.

District officials stated that the survey could not be completed on Tuesday and was scheduled for Sunday to avoid interference with afternoon prayers.

(With inputs from PTI)