Sambhal residents urge Adityanath to ensure safety of Hindus, seek steps to check 'exodus'

Sambhal: Residents who deposed before a three-member judicial commission probing the November 2024 violence in Sambhal on Thursday urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take concrete measures to ensure the safety of Hindus and prevent their migration from the district.

Earlier in the day, the panel members met the chief minister and submitted their report on the violence that erupted near the Shahi Jama Masjid on November 24 last year during an ASI-monitored survey of the mosque, claiming four lives and injuring several others.

Several people who recorded their statements before the panel comprising retired Allahabad High Court judge Devendra Kumar Arora, former IPS officer Arvind Kumar Jain, and ex-IAS officer Amit Mohan Prasad voiced hope that the “reality of Sambhal” has been placed before the government.

Sanjay Kumar Pauli, who appeared before the commission, told PTI, “We are grateful to the judicial commission. I hope it has revealed the truth about Sambhal. Now we demand the government to safeguard our security.

“The migration of Hindus and the atmosphere of terror here are no longer hidden. I urge Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to make proper security arrangements so that this exodus stops.” Gagan Varshney, a municipal councillor, said he appealed to the panel to recommend that the Hindus in Sambhal be granted minority status.

“The commission must have understood our pain. Since the (November 2024) riots, Hindu numbers have steadily declined and migration has increased. We hope the chief minister takes steps to ensure our safety, establish a police headquarters and police lines here, and stop the migration,” Varshney said.

The Sambhal dispute dates back to November 19 last year, when Hindu petitioners, including advocates Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain, filed a suit in the Sambhal district court claiming the Shahi Jama Masjid was built on a temple.

A court-ordered survey was conducted on the same day (November 19), followed by another on November 24. The second survey triggered significant unrest in Sambhal, resulting in the death of four persons and injuries to 29 policemen.

Police booked Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq and mosque committee head Zafar Ali in connection with the violence, besides registering an FIR against 2,750 unidentified persons.