Sambhal mentioned in scriptures that predate Islam, temple was destroyed in 1526: UP CM Adityanath

Lucknow: Amid the Sambhal mosque controversy, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday that forcibly seizing someone's faith and trampling over their beliefs is "unacceptable", especially "when we know the truth about Sambhal" which predates Islam, with the Vishnu temple there being destroyed in 1526.

"Sambhal has been mentioned in scriptures that are 5,000 years old. They contain references to Lord Vishnu's future incarnation. Islam, on the other hand, emerged only 1,400 years ago. I am talking about something that predates Islam by at least 2,000 years.

"The evidence for these things has existed for centuries. Remember, in 1526, the temple of Lord Vishnu in Sambhal was demolished. Two years later, in 1528, the Ram temple in Ayodhya was destroyed," Adityanath said.

Speaking at 'Manthan: Kumbh and Beyond" in Lucknow, an event organised by RSS-linked weekly Organiser, he said both acts were carried out by the same person.

Tension has been simmering since last November in Sambhal following a court-ordered survey at a mosque believed by some to be the site of a demolished temple.