A violent clash erupted in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal on Sunday when a group opposed an official survey of a mosque, which was initiated after a court order on a complaint that the structure was originally a temple.
The protesters, numbering in the hundreds, gathered near the Shahi Jama Masjid as the survey team arrived and opposed the move. The situation turned violent as the mob threw stones at the survey team, which was accompanied by heavy police deployment.
In retaliation, the police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
The survey at the Shahi Jama Masjid was scheduled following a court complaint claiming that the mosque was originally a temple.
"A survey is being conducted in Sambhal on the orders of the court. Some anti-social elements have pelted stones. Police and senior officers are present on the spot. The situation is under control, the police will identify the stone pelters and take appropriate legal action," Uttar Pradesh top cop Prashant Kumar said.
The area has witnessed heightened tension over the past few days, and a heavy police force was deployed. A similar survey was conducted on November 19, with local police and members of the mosque’s management committee present.
The complaint, filed by Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, claimed that a temple, Hari Har Mandir, once stood at the site of the masjid and that Mughal emperor Babar partially demolished it in 1529.
Vishnu Jain and his father Hari Shankar Jain have represented the Hindu side in many cases related to places of worship, including the Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath dispute.
Amid the tensions, on Saturday, the district administration 'bound down' 35 people on a bond of up to Rs 10 lakh to maintain peace and order. Authorities order someone to be 'bound down' if they receive information that the person is likely to breach the peace, disturb public tranquillity, cause danger to public harmony or commit any wrongful act.
