Residents raze own homes near newly found temple in UP’s Sambhal amid crackdown by authorities: Reports
Muslim residents in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, where an “ancient temple” was discovered last week.
The residents have reportedly started demolishing their own homes which they had built after “encroaching on the temple property,” saying that they can salvage some of their precious things this way, according to a report by The Times of India.
The district administration has installed CCTV cameras at the site and launched a comprehensive anti-encroachment drive.
“At least we can salvage some of our precious things this way. If we leave the demolition to the administration, we might not be left with anything,” the report quoted a resident as saying on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation continued its raids in some areas of Sambhal. On Tuesday, a smart metre was installed at the house of Samajwadi Party MP Zia-Ur Rahman, who recently received a notice for alleged illegal construction under his name. So far, power theft has been detected in dozens of houses, leading to fines worth ₹1.3 crore.
“The power department requested police security for conducting anti-theft drives in certain areas of Sambhal near Jama Mosque. During the drive, several houses were found stealing electricity,” the TOI report quoted ASP Shrish Chandra as saying. Anti-encroachment and anti-power theft operations are ongoing, with heavy police deployment to maintain law and order.
Anti-encroachment drive in Sambhal
The anti-encroachment drive follows violence in Sambhal on November 24, which broke out during a court-monitored Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey of the Jama Masjid, which left five people dead and over 20 police officers injured. The survey was ordered after claims that the mosque was built on the ruins of a Hindu temple allegedly demolished during the Mughal period.
On November 29, the Supreme Court directed the Sambhal trial court to halt proceedings against the mosque until the Allahabad High Court hears the masjid committee’s challenge to the survey order.
Around the mosque, a well discovered near the old temple has been sealed by the municipality. “This well is located right at the edge of the mosque’s entrance. Police forces are deployed at the site,” said Chandra. The administration has begun excavation work at the well, which had been covered by a marble slab.
The discovery of the “ancient” Shiva temple inside an abandoned house during an anti-encroachment drive sparked this chain of events.
The Shri Kartik Mahadev Temple (Bhasma Shankar temple) was reopened on December 13 after the authorities said they stumbled upon the covered structure during an anti-encroachment drive.
The temple housed an idol of Lord Hanuman and a Shivling and had remained locked since 1978. On Monday, three damaged idols were found inside the temple well, officials had said.
The temple is situated just over a kilometre from the Shahi Jama Masjid where violence took place on November 24.
The Sambhal district administration has written to the ASI for carbon dating of the temple and the well, according to news agency PTI.