Sambhal violence: Crowd protesting mosque survey was not violent, say civil rights groups

Eyewitness testimonies and videos “contradict the official narrative” that the crowd protesting the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district in November was violent, said a fact-finding report by civil rights groups.

“Rather, they [testimonies and videos] depict excessive force by the police, including unlawful entries into homes, destruction of property and beatings,” said the report.

The report, released by non-governmental organisation Association for Protection of Civil Rights and solidarity campaign Karwan-e-Mohabbat, pertained to the violence that broke out in Sambhal on November 24 after a group of Muslims objected to a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi town.

A trial court had ordered the survey in a lawsuit claiming that the mosque had been built in 1526 by Mughal ruler Babar on the site of the “centuries-old Shri Hari Har Temple dedicated to Lord Kalki”.

The first survey took place on November 19 while a second one was conducted on November 24.

Five persons were killed in the violence during the second survey.

The report released on Tuesday looked into the process of the survey and what happened in its aftermath. It said that a petition was filed on November 19 in the trial court seeking an immediate survey of the mosque, claiming that it was actually...

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