UP Sambhal Unrest: Understanding the Plea Over Shahi Jama Masjid
UP Sambhal Unrest: The Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi, a centrally protected monument, faces a court plea alleging it was built in 1526 by demolishing an ancient Hindu temple.
Violent unrest erupted in the Sambhal district in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday morning, November 24, as stone pelting and arson broke out during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi town. Vehicles were torched as a team of surveyors arrived to conduct the second survey of the mosque, escalating tensions in the area.
UP Sambhal Unrest, During Mosque Survey
The controversy begins with a petition filed on Tuesday (November 19) before the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division), Sambhal at Chandausi, Aditya Singh. Here the petition claimed that the Shahi Jama Masjid was constructed in the year of 1526 after demolishing an ancient temple belonging to Hindus. Acting on the petition, the court sat with a homogenous alacrity as it promptly appointed an advocate commissioner to conduct an initial survey the same day. The court directed that the findings of the survey be presented by November 29.
Swift Legal Action
The efficiency of the court's process has been striking. Filed on Tuesday afternoon, the petition had led to the appointment of a survey commissioner within hours. The first survey was done expededitiously, after which the court ordered another, more detailed survey. This urgency reflects the sensitive nature of the case, as it deals with very contentious claims about historical beginnings of the mosque.
Escalation of Violence
The second had sparked resistance, leading to stone pelting and burning of vehicles. The disturbance was such that police intervention with tear gas was needed to quell the situation. The violence spelt the volatile emotions and polarising nature of any such disputes.
Wider Implications
This incident falls in the line of a growing trend of legal and social disputes over historical religious sites in India, raising complex questions about heritage, identity, and law. Till the final survey report comes in, local authorities are already on the lookout for violence.
The outcome of this case could have a more widespread impact and shape other similar disputes throughout the country.