The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday condemned the senseless violence in Sambhal over court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque in the city and demanded that the culprits be brought to book for inciting chaos and unrest.
From Jagdambika Pal to Manoj Tiwari, to Ravi Shankar Prasad and Sakshi Maharaj, all of them strongly condemned the violence that erupted in Sambhal district of the state on November 24 and described this as an 'attack on the court'.
As violence erupted after a survey of the mosque --a disputed site of a Hindu temple, according to claims by others--the clashes started. The survey, led by an 'Advocate Commissioner,' sparked a clash in which a crowd near the mosque went violent and resulted in four deaths and injuries to nearly two dozen more. Meanwhile, the government has imposed strict security measures including prohibitory orders, closing of schools and colleges and suspension of internet in the region.
BJP leader Jagdambika Pal also expressed concern while saying: "What happened in Sambhal is worrisome. Who is responsible for this? The survey team was on the basis of court orders, stones were thrown at them. There is a need to probe into this incident.
Manoj Tiwari described the incidents as an attack on the authority of the Court. "This is an attack on the Court, and we have to identify which groups are behind all such premeditated violence," he said.
Ravi Shankar Prasad also reacted by saying that those who were questioning the judgment should have approached the Joint Committee of Parliament and did not make an attack as it was a verdict of the court.
Sakshi Maharaj condemned the violence, saying, "This is an unfortunate incident. There should be a proper investigation." He questioned how the crowd was armed with so many stones.
The authorities have banished outsiders from Sambhal until December 1 to keep the order in hand. Public gatherings have been banned. No public representatives will be allowed to visit the area during this period. Police have arrested 21 people, including two women who were involved in the violence.
The authorities have also seized arms from some of the homes of the arrested individuals. Further arrests are expected as investigations continue.
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