Sambhal violence: opposition politicises the incident, claims UP govt

Lucknow: On the row over the violence that happened at Sambhal and the death of five Muslims, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak claimed that opposition parties are politicizing the incident. On Monday, he also claimed that the state government’s primary objective is to bring peace to the region.

Pathak said, "The way opposition parties are politicising the Sambhal issue is not appropriate. Our primary goal is to ensure peace in the region. The matter is currently sub judice, and we will fully comply with the court's decision," IANS quoted.

The state police had prevented delegations of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress from visiting Sambhal on November 30 and December 2 respectively. Police claimed that there is a restriction effective on the entry of outsiders into the region. Police stopped leaders of the two parties from leaving their residences, which in turn gave rise to severe criticism.

Earlier, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav had condemned the BJP-led state government, calling the restrictions a "failure" of governance and administration. Congress leaders termed the situation "anarchy" and "hooliganism" by the state government, IANS reported.

Pathak told IANS, "Yesterday, a judicial commission visited Sambhal. We are ready to take impartial action based on their findings. The government is committed to upholding the law and will not let anyone disrupt peace.”

He claimed, "Whether it is the Samajwadi Party or the Congress, they are making these statements solely for electoral gains. Meanwhile, we are focused on strengthening law and order across the state and will not tolerate any breach of the law."

The Sambhal incident involved violent clashes triggered by a court-mandated survey of the disputed Mughal-era Jama Masjid, where claims are that a Shiva temple was there.