Sun Nov 24 15:38:22 UTC 2024: **Three Killed in Uttar Pradesh Mosque Survey Violence**
SAMBHAL, Uttar Pradesh—Three people died in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, November 24, following clashes that erupted during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. The survey, prompted by a petition alleging the mosque was built atop a demolished 1526 temple, resulted in stone-pelting and the torching of vehicles.
The petition, filed by eight individuals including advocate Hari Shankar Jain (also involved in the Gyanvapi mosque case) and Mahant Rishiraj Giri, claims the mosque occupies the site of a centuries-old Shri Hari Har Temple. It alleges the temple was partially destroyed by Babar’s forces in 1527-28 and subsequently converted into a mosque. The petitioners, citing the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, assert a right of public access to the site, accusing the ASI of inaction. They seek court orders granting access and restraining any interference with this access.
The Jama Masjid, however, is a protected monument under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act of 1904 and is listed on the ASI website. Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rehman Barq criticized the petition, citing the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which protects the status quo of religious places as of 1947. He vowed to appeal any unfavorable local court ruling to the High Court. The violence underscores the rising tensions surrounding religious sites in India.
First Piper 