Sambhal, Nov 24 (IANS) The police and city administration are in high alert mode, as the day marks completion of one year of bloody violence during the survey of Jama masjid in the city. Security arrangements across the district have been tightened while security vigil has been enhanced. The police department remains on high alert while additional forces have been deployed in the areas that witnessed unrest last year.

CCTV cameras have been installed at the site of the violence and in the areas surrounding the Jama Masjid. All cameras are being monitored live from the control room at Satyavrat Chowki near the mosque. Officers are continuously observing the footage and coordinating with ground teams to ensure preparedness for any situation that may arise.

Sambhal Police have put in place multi-layered security plan. RAF detachments, PAC personnel, and local police units are patrolling the entire region. Additional forces have been stationed at various locations deemed sensitive. According to officials, these measures have been taken to ensure that law and order remain undisturbed under all circumstances.

The Jama Masjid in Sambhal was built during the reign of the first Mughal emperor, Babur, between 1526 and 1530. The controversy over the mosque erupted after advocate Vishnu Shanker Jain and others petitioned in court, claiming that the Jama Masjid stood on the ruins of a temple dedicated to Lord Kalki. Jain, who is also involved in the Gyanvapi and Krishna Janmabhoomi cases, argued that the mosque was constructed after the destruction of a temple during Babur’s invasion in 1526–27. The petition cited historical texts such as the Baburnamah and Ain-e-Akbari to support its claim.

Acting on the petition, the court ordered a survey of the mosque on November 19, 2024. Advocate Commissioner Ramesh Raghav, accompanied by district administration and police personnel, conducted the survey the same day. The swift proceedings drew criticism, with some alleging judicial overreach and procedural lapses.

The Muslim community, including the Jama Masjid management committee, strongly opposed the survey. They cited the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which bars altering the status of any religious site as it existed on August 15, 1947. Ziaur Rehman Barq, the Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, condemned the action, calling it a threat to communal harmony.

On November 24, tensions boiled over as a second survey was scheduled. Protests erupted near the mosque as hundreds of locals, fearing a repeat of the Babri Masjid demolition, gathered to resist the survey. The demonstrations quickly turned violent, with protesters throwing stones and setting vehicles on fire.

Several vehicles were torched, and property around the mosque was damaged. Internet services were suspended, prohibitory orders were imposed, and schools were shut for a day to prevent further escalation.

Notably, Sambhal holds religious importance for Hindus as it is believed to be the birthplace of Kalki, the tenth and final avatar of Vishnu. Hindu scriptures state that Kalki will appear in Sambhal to end the Kalyug, the age of “moral decline”. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the grand Kalki Dham, stating that the arrival of Kalki would “determine the course of thousands of years.”

–IANS

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