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As Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh simmers after violence over survey at a mosque claimed four lives, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Yogi Adityanath government of partiality and said its "hasty" approach was unfortunate. Mr Gandhi's sister and party colleague Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, too, criticised the state government and appealed to Supreme Court to take up of the sensitive issue.
Sambhal has been tense after a local court last month ordered a survey of the Mughal-era Jama Masjid following a petition that claimed that a Harihar temple stood at the site before Babar demolished it. One round of survey was carried out on Tuesday and another was scheduled for Sunday. But when the survey team started work yesterday, a large group gathered near the mosque and started raising slogans. The situation escalated into a full-blown clash between cops and the protesters. Police had to use force to bring the situation under control.
District Magistrate Rajendra Pesia said some people threw stones at police, but the situation was now in control. A total of seven cases have been registered against 400-odd people in connection with the violence. The main Opposition, Samajwadi Party has alleged that the survey team was deliberately sent in to "create chaos" and "the other side was not even heard". "This was intentionally done to provoke emotions and avoid discussions on election rigging," he said a day after the NDA scored big in the nine Uttar Pradesh bypolls.
In a Hindi post on X, Mr Gandhi expressed condolences with the family members of those killed in the violence. "The administration did not hear all sides and acted insensitively. This spoiled the atmosphere and led to deaths and the BJP is responsible for them," the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said.
Mr Gandhi alleged the BJP of creating a rift between Hindus and Muslims and said this was not in the interest of the state or the country. "I urge Supreme Court to intervene in this matter at the earliest," he said, calling for peace and harmony.
Mr Gandhi's sister and newly elected Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra blamed the state government for the tension in Sambhal and echoed her brother's request to the top court to intervene. "I appeal to the people to maintain peace at all costs," she said.