Explained: What Is The Shahi Jama Masjid Row That Triggered Clashes In Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal

Shahi Jama Masjid Row: The Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh became the focus of violent clashes after a court-ordered survey, raising concerns over communal tensions.

Sambhal: Police stand guard during a second survey of the Jama Masjid, claimed to be originally the site of an ancient Hindu temple, in Sambhal, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024.

Source : PTI

Shahi Jama Masjid Row: The Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, has become the epicentre of a significant controversy following violent clashes over a court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era mosque. The unrest, which resulted in three fatalities and injuries to scores, including security personnel and administrative officials, has raised concerns about communal tensions in the region.

The Jama Masjid And Petition Over Its Construction

The Jama Masjid, located in Chandausi, is a protected monument notified under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904. It has been listed as a "Monument of National Importance" by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and appears on the ASI website under the Agra circle’s Moradabad division.

The violence erupted as surveyors reached Chandausi town to conduct a second survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, following a court order. On Sunday, violence erupted as a survey team, appointed by the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division), conducted a videographic examination of the Shahi Jama Masjid. The court order stemmed from a petition claiming that a Harihar temple existed at the mosque's location before its alleged demolition by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1529, news agency PTI reported. Tension had been simmering since Tuesday when the initial survey was conducted, but it was incomplete. Authorities scheduled the follow-up survey for Sunday morning to avoid interfering with prayers.

The petition was filed on November 19, claiming that a temple was demolished in 1526 to construct the mosque. Civil Judge (Senior Division) Aditya Singh of Sambhal at Chandausi ordered the survey, appointing an advocate commissioner to conduct an initial survey on the same day. A survey report is expected to be submitted by November 29, The Indian Express reported.     

The petition was filed by eight individuals, including advocate Hari Shankar Jain, known for his involvement in the Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Vishwanath case, Advocate Parth Yadav, and Mahant Rishiraj Giri of Kalki Devi Temple. Other petitioners include Ved Pal Singh from Noida and residents of Sambhal: Rakesh Kumar, Jitpal Yadav, Madanpal, and Deenanath, as per Indian Express's report.  

The petition alleges that a centuries-old Shri Hari Har Temple, dedicated to Lord Kalki, was unlawfully taken over by the Jama Masjid Committee. The plea states that Sambhal holds significant religious value in Hindu scriptures as the site where Lord Vishnu’s tenth incarnation, Kalki, is prophesied to appear.  

It also claims that the Shri Hari Har Temple was partially demolished in 1527-28 by Hindu Beg, a lieutenant in Emperor Babar’s army, and was converted into a mosque. The petitioners argue that the monument is protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, and that the public has a legal right to access the site, as per the report.  

Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side urged the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to take control of the temple. "There are chances of chances of destruction of evidence. It is an ASI-protected monument. ASI must intervene immediately, he said on X.

The petition accuses the ASI of failing to exercise control over the monument and alleges that its officers have succumbed to pressure from the Muslim community. The petitioners have requested the court to allow access to the site and restrain the mosque committee and other authorities from obstructing public entry. They have also sought a permanent injunction against interference by the mosque’s administrators, it stated.  

Political Reactions Over Jama Masjid Row & Sambhal Clashes

Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Ziaur Rehman Barq, criticised the petition, saying, “Outsiders have attempted to disrupt the communal harmony of the district by filing a petition of this nature in court.” Barq emphasised that the Supreme Court's Worship Act of 1991 protects all religious places as they existed in 1947. “The Jama Masjid in Sambhal is a historic site where Muslims have been offering prayers for several centuries. We have the right to appeal to the high court if we do not receive a satisfactory order from the local court,” Barq added, as quoted by Indian Express.  

The Suday's violence has drawn sharp political reactions. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating the survey to foster communal divisions. BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said no one can claim that it is his constitutional right to break the law or throw stones to stop a court order from being implemented. "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," he said, as quoted by PTI. He stressed that those who do not agree with court orders should take legal recourse.

Another BJP spokesperson Ajay Alok trained guns at the INDIA bloc alleging that the violence is a deliberate attempt to cause instability.

The situation remains tense as police have lodged seven FIRs in connection with the violence naming Samajwadi Party MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq and local SP MLA Iqbal Mehmood's son Sohail Iqbal as accused.