Internet services have been suspended and schools shut after three people were killed in violence over the survey of a mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal on Sunday.

Chaos erupted in Sambhal Sunday morning when a court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid led to violent clashes between the locals and the police. The mosque is at the centre of a contentious legal battle over claims that it was built on the site of a Hindu temple.

The protesters also set some vehicles on fire and pelted stones at the police, who used tear gas and batons to disperse the mob.

In the chaos, about 20 police personnel were also injured. A constable, who suffered an injury to the head, is said to be critical.

Twenty-one people, including two women, have been detained and a probe has been launched, an official said, adding that those accused in the violence would be booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).

“The reason for the death of two of them is clear — bullet wounds from countrymade pistols. The reason for the death of the third person is not clear, but it will be after the post-mortem examination,” District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI.

Internet services have been suspended in Sambhal tehsil for 24 hours and the district administration declared a holiday on November 25 for all students up to Class 12.

Officials have also issued a notification prohibiting any outsider, social organization or public representative from entering Sambhal without the orders of the authorities.

The Row Over Mosque Survey In Sambhal

Sambhal has been tense since last Tuesday when the Jama Masjid was surveyed on a local court’s orders following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple stood at the site. The officials said the survey could not be completed on Tuesday and was planned for Sunday morning to avoid interference with prayers that are usually held in the afternoon.

A lawyer for the Hindu side claimed that the temple that once stood at the site was demolished by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1529.

Supporters of the survey argue that it is a necessary step in uncovering historical truths, while critics view it as a provocation that violates the sanctity of religious places as upheld by the Places of Worship Act, 1991.

Despite the violence, officials completed the survey as planned. Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is a petitioner in the case, said the survey team conducted a detailed examination of the site, supported by videography and photography as per the court’s directives. The survey report is scheduled to be submitted by November 29.

Mr Jain and his father Hari Shankar Jain have earlier represented the Hindu side in many cases related to places of worship, including the Varanasi’s Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute.

Opposition On Mosque Survey In Sambhal

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said the Supreme Court should “immediately” take cognizance of the “conspiracy to spread tension in the name of survey”.

“A case of disturbing peace and harmony should be registered against those who took sloganeers with them with the aim of disturbing social harmony and the Bar Association should also take disciplinary and punitive action against them. There was no hope from the UP government and administration, nor is there any now,” he posted in Hindi on X, formerly Twitter.

सर्वे के नाम पर तनाव फैलाने की साज़िश का ‘सर्वोच्च न्यायालय’ तुरंत संज्ञान ले और जो अपने साथ सामाजिक सद्भाव बिगाड़ने के उद्देश्य से नारेबाज़ों को ले गये, उनके ख़िलाफ़ शांति और सौहार्द बिगाड़ने का मुक़दमा दर्ज हो और उनके ख़िलाफ़ ‘बार एसोसिएशन’ भी अनुशासनात्मक और दंडात्मक कार्रवाई… pic.twitter.com/9Fj30K4aLm

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) November 24, 2024

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai said the incidents of violence were “increasing day by day” in the state under the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government.

The BJP, however, hit back and said that those who do not agree with judicial orders should take legal recourse.

“Nobody has any right to break the law. If a court has passed an order, it will be implemented. The judicial process is available for those who want the order amended,” party spokesperson Nalin Kohli said.

This morning, the floor leaders of the INDIA bloc will hold a meeting in Parliament House to decide the Opposition strategy.
“We have asked to raise the Manipur issue… Rapes, murders are happening and there is no law and order in Manipur…There is unemployment in the country. I am also worried that the pollution situation in the northern India is becoming more and more serious,” said Congress’s Pramod Tiwari.
The Opposition, though, is expected to be on a weaker footing following their stunning defeats in Maharashtra and Haryana.
On Sunday, the government met the floor leaders of all political parties under the Chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Kiren Rijiju, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, requested all party leaders for cooperation and support for the smooth functioning of the two Houses of Parliament, the government said in a statement.
The Winter Session is expected to continue till December 20. In this session, the Waqf Amendment Bill and the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill is among the bills that are likely to be considered for discussion.
A Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill and the Railway Act amendment bill is to be tabled in the Lok Sabha. A bill to amend the Railway Act will be tabled as well.
There is speculation that the government might introduce the ‘One Nation One Election’ bill in this session. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently underscored that the government is working on the “One Nation One Election” plan.
The Banking Laws Amendment Bill will further amend the Reserve Bank of India Act, the Banking Regulation Act, the State Bank of India Act, and the Banking Companies Act, and the Banking Companies Act.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024  bill to provide for regulation and control of the design, manufacture, maintenance, possession, use, operation, sale, export and import of aircraft will be taken up.

Violent clashes erupted in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, during a court-ordered survey of the Jama Masjid, resulting in three fatalities and numerous injuries. The survey, prompted by claims of the mosque’s prior existence as a temple, ignited protests and stone-pelting, leading to police retaliation with tear gas. Authorities implemented prohibitory orders, internet suspension, and material restrictions to quell the unrest.