Samajwadi Party MP and MLA’s Son Named in Sambhal Violence FIR

A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq and Sohail Iqbal, the son of local SP MLA Iqbal Mehmood, following violent protests on Sunday in Sambhal district, Uttar Pradesh. The spate of violence stemmed out of a court ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, a Mughal-era mosque. At least 4 people lost their lives as a result of the clashes, and several others are injured.

The district's top officials, including District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya and Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Kumar Bishnoi, confirmed on Monday that the situation was under control. They stated that those responsible for the violence would be identified using video footage and arrested. A total of seven FIRs have been registered, with Barq and Sohail Iqbal named as the main accused. In addition, over 2,750 individuals are listed as unidentified suspects.

Ziaur Rahman Barq, accused of inciting the violence, responded by calling the incident "pre-planned." "Across the country, Muslims are being targeted, and such a bad situation has never happened after independence." He criticized the ongoing legal challenges to Muslim places of worship, referring to them as violations of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991. Barq argued, "The way the Places of Worship Act is being violated... One by one pleas are being submitted and a hearing is happening on the same day itself and orders are also coming, same day DM and SP went and conducted the survey. People were stopped from offering Namaz. What was the necessity of a second survey?" said Barq.

Samajwadi Chief Akhilesh Yadav has alleged that the incident of stone pelting and the subsequent spate of violence was a “riot done by the government.” He added that the SP MP named in the FIR was not present in the state when the incident took place. "Our MP Zia Ur Rahman Barq was not even in Sambhal during the incident and despite that, a case was registered against him. From all the videos we have, we know it was a riot by the government,” said Akihlesh Yadav.

Tensions had been escalating in Sambhal since Tuesday, when a civil court ordered the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. The survey was prompted by a petition claiming the mosque was built on the site of a Hindu temple demolished in 1529. The initial survey was conducted the same day, but things took a violent turn when the survey team returned to the mosque on Sunday. A large crowd gathered and began shouting slogans, and police reported that the mob threw stones at officials.

As the stone pelting intensified after the survey, the police responded with a lathi charge and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Police officials suggested that the violence appeared to be premeditated, noting that protestors had come from areas 10 to 15 kilometers away. The authorities have arrested 25 individuals so far, and they are in the process of identifying others involved using CCTV footage.

The district administration has taken several measures to restore order, including imposing prohibitory orders and restricting outsiders from entering Sambhal until November 30. Internet services have been suspended in Sambhal tehsil, and schools were closed on Monday as a precaution.