Sambhal violence: Ban on outsiders' entry extended to Dec 10, SP lawmakers barred from visit

Lucknow/Sambhal: Several Samajwadi Party lawmakers, including its Sambhal MP, were stopped from entering the violence-hit district, as the administration on Saturday extended the ban on the entry of outsiders and public representatives into Sambhal till December 10 to maintain "peace and order".

The earlier prohibition on outsiders' entry was to expire on Saturday.

The Samajwadi Party's Muzaffarnagar MP Harendra Malik was stopped from entering Sambhal from Ghaziabad.

"I don't understand why we are being stopped. Are the opposition leader and the MPs so irresponsible that they can't be allowed to move within the state?" Malik asked.

The party had announced a 15-member delegation would visit the district to gather information about the violence that broke out over a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid.

Curbs under Section 163 (power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, set to expire on Sunday, were extended till December 31.

In a statement issued in Sambhal, District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya said, "To maintain peace and order, the imposition of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita in the district has been extended to December 31." "No outsider, any social organisation or public representative can enter into the borders of the district without seeking the permission of the competent authority till December 10," he added.

Tension had been brewing in Sambhal since November 19 when the court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era mosque was carried out following claims that a Harihar temple previously stood at the site.

Violence erupted during a second survey on November 24 as protesters gathered near the mosque and clashed with security personnel. Four people died and several others were injured in the clashes. The police have denied allegations that it fired at the protesters.

The Supreme Court has since ordered the Sambhal court to halt proceedings in the case and its survey.

Pensiya further said, "If anyone tries to spread rumours on any group on social media, the group admin will delete the post and immediately inform the police. Cyber cafes will keep a register to enter the names of visitors." Malik, who was stopped from entering Sambhal, further said, "Our delegation also included MPs Zia-ur-Rehman Barq (Sambhal) and Iqra Hasan (Kairana). The government is acting in an autocratic manner." Traffic was choked at the Ghaziabad border as the police stepped up vigil to ensure that no one could move towards Sambhal.

Malik was seen sitting at a divider.

"I want to go to Sambhal to apply a healing touch to those affected by the violence but the government is controlling everything," Malik said before he and his convoy were removed from the spot.

Hasan, whose convoy was stopped in Hapur, told reporters, "All those affected by the violence are our own people and we wanted to be with them. We will raise the issue in the Lok Sabha." In Moradabad, Samajwadi Party MP Ruchi Veera's residence was surrounded by cops to prevent her from travelling to Sambhal.

Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey, who was to lead the delegation, told reporters outside his Lucknow residence that Home Secretary Sanjay Prasad called him and requested him to not visit Sambhal.

"The Sambhal district magistrate also called and told me that the ban on the entry of outsiders had been extended," he said.

"The government perhaps wanted to prevent me in order to hide its wrongdoings as our visit would have exposed its mistakes," he added.

Heavy security has been deployed outside Pandey's residence since Friday.

In a post in Hindi on X, the Samajwadi Party said the government deploying police at the homes of leaders included in the delegation and preventing them from travelling to Sambhal was "reprehensible".

"The BJP government is hiding the truth of the Sambhal violence. The Samajwadi Party delegation should have been given permission to visit," it said.

In another post, it alleged that the Yogi Adityanath government was scared of the delegation.

"At the behest of the government, the police prevented (Samajwadi Party) state president Shyam Lal Pal from visiting Sambhal and placed him under house arrest. The BJP government is tearing the Constitution to shreds. Totally reprehensible!" It also claimed that Bijnor MP Veera and Asmoli MLA Pinky Yadav were stopped from travelling to Sambhal. Rampur MP Mohibullah Nadvi was among those stopped at the Ghaziabad border.

The party's Lucknow Central MLA Ravidas Mehrotra alleged that the BJP government had imposed an "undeclared Emergency".

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the situation in Sambhal was peaceful.

"The dispute was not a Hindu-Muslim riot but a power struggle between the local Samajwadi Party MP and the MLA. In this power tussle, the Samajwadi Party attempted to push Sambhal into communal unrest," Maurya told PTI Videos.

"This attempt was made because the Samajwadi Party suffered a crushing defeat in the recent bypolls and even their Muslim votebank has started shifting away. The delegation being sent by (Samajwadi Party president) Akhilesh Yadav does not reflect any genuine sympathy for Muslims. It is a failed attempt to reclaim the lost votebank," he said.

Such attempts are futile and show that the Samajwadi Party is turning itself into a "samaapt-wadi party", he added.

This is the same Samajwadi Party, which talks about PDA (Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak) but is actually a "Parivar Development Agency (Family Development Agency)", that the public has rejected, Maurya claimed.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak alleged the violence was a fallout of one-upmanship between the local MP and the MLA. "The Samajwadi Party leaders are attempting to divert attention to save themselves."

BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said, "The situation is sensitive, the local administration is trying to restore normality. Mata Prasad Pandey and the Samajwadi Party should realise their responsibility and wait for the situation to normalise."

"The Samajwadi Party's intentions are doubtful because its delegation also includes local MP Barq, who is accused of inciting the violence. What statement will he give after going there?" he asked.

Sambhal MP Barq has been booked in connection with the November 24 violence for "provocative acts".