Ayodhya:

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday condemned the attacks on places of worship, including in Bangladesh, and said that there is a conspiracy to make “hell on earth,” by anyone who tries to desecrate Sanatan dharma’s religious places.

The CM was speaking at a ‘Katha program’ of Peethadhishwar Sridharacharya Maharaj in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

“Look at what is happening in Bangladesh. Then earlier what had happened in Pakistan and Afghanistan? I want to ask who were those people who destroyed the Sanatan Dharma’s places of pride in the country and why did they do it?” the UP CM asked during his speech.

CM Adityanath was mentioning the attack on Hindu religious sites in Bangladesh, calling it a conspiracy to “make hell on earth.”

“It was a part of the conspiracy to make the whole earth a hell by carrying out these barbaric acts, whether it is in Ayodhya’s Ram janmabhoomi, Mathura’s Krishna janmabhoomi, or in Sambhal the Hari Har Bhoomi… these temples get destroyed, desecrated or made impure, but the lineage and descendants of those who desecrated these temples will be destroyed,” he added.

The CM further reiterated that Sanatan Dharma is the only way to establish world peace.

The UP CM also participated in the ‘Ashtottarshat 108 Srimad Bhagwat Paath, Panch Narayan Mahayagya’ at Ayodhya Dham.

“May this Panch Narayan Maha Yagya become the basis for purification of the environment, protection of India and preservation of Sanatan Dharma and may all Indians and followers of Sanatan Dharma receive its virtue,” the UP CM said in a post on X.

Ayodhya’s Ram Janmabhoomi was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22, 2024 after a Supreme Court verdict in 2019.

In Mathura, the Supreme Court had accepted various petitions regarding Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura and Shahi Masjid Idgah. More than 15 suits by different plaintiffs have been filed claiming competing rights over the Shahi Masjid Idgah on the ground that it is the site of the birthplace of Lord Shri Krishna (Krishna Janmabhoomi).

In Sambhal, recently a Shiv-Hanuman temple was rediscovered during an anti-encroachment drive on December 14 and opened for prayers a few days ago.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Lucknow:

After the Lucknow Police served notice to Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai, asking him to postpone his Sambhal visit, the party leader said that he would go to Sambhal “peacefully.”

“They have issued me a notice and have asked me that my visit will cause chaos. Certainly, we also don’t want chaos but peace to prevail. The atrocity and injustice that was done there by the police and the govt, I want my leadership to know this. They (police) gave me notice but I will go there peacefully,” Mr Rai told ANI.

Earlier in the morning, Uttar Pradesh Police issued a notice to Mr Rai asking them not to visit violence-hit Sambhal.

In the notice given to Ajay Rai, he has been informed that “keeping in mind the peace and communal sensitivity in Sambhal district, he should cooperate in the public interest and postpone his proposed program so that the order passed by the District Magistrate of Sambhal district, Section 163 BNSS is not violated.”

“Due to this no outsider/social organization/public representative will enter the boundary of Sambhal district without the permission of the competent officer. Going to Sambhal district with the delegation of Congress Party on 02.12.2024 is not appropriate from the point of view of peace and order,” the notice further read.

A Congress delegation led by the party’s Uttar Pradesh chief is scheduled to visit Sambhal where a stone-pelting incident took place on November 24.

Amid massive security, a three-member judicial committee conducted an inspection near the Shahi Masjid area in Sambhal on Sunday.

The committee members visited the areas and spoke to the residents as well as officials regarding the incident. The panel was accompanied by security personnel as they visited the violence-hit area.

Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said that the situation in Sambhal is currently peaceful and the authorities are constantly monitoring the same.

Tensions in Sambhal have been high since November 19, when a local court ordered a survey of the mosque. Clashes between protestors and police over the court-ordered survey of the Jama Masjid resulted in four deaths.

Sambhal:

A 15-member delegation from the Samajwadi Party (SP) was barred from entering Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal today, prompting a sharp response from party chief Akhilesh Yadav. The team, tasked with investigating recent violence at the Shahi Jama Masjid, was formed under the leadership of UP state assembly LoP Mata Prasad Pandey. 

The Sambhal district administration issued a directive banning the entry of outsiders until December 10. District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya stated, “No outsider, any social organisation or any public representative can enter into the borders of the district without seeking the permission of the competent authority till December 10.”

This measure came against the backdrop of violent clashes in Sambhal on November 24, following a court-mandated survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. Protesters opposing the survey clashed with security forces, leading to stone pelting, arson, and the deaths of several individuals. 

READ | 16th Century Mosque, A City On Fire: Sambhal Violence Explained

Reacting strongly to the situation, Akhilesh Yadav took to social media to condemn the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government. Mr Yadav accused the government of administrative failure and alleged that the BJP was attempting to shield its negligence.

“Imposing a ban is a failure of the BJP government’s governance, administration and government management. If the government had imposed such a ban earlier on those who dreamed of causing riots and made people raise frenzied slogans, the atmosphere of harmony and peace in Sambhal would not have been spoiled,” Mr Yadav wrote.

प्रतिबंध लगाना भाजपा सरकार के शासन, प्रशासन और सरकारी प्रबंधन की नाकामी है। ऐसा प्रतिबंध अगर सरकार उन पर पहले ही लगा देती, जिन्होंने दंगा-फ़साद करवाने का सपना देखा और उन्मादी नारे लगवाए तो संभल में सौहार्द-शांति का वातावरण नहीं बिगड़ता।

भाजपा जैसे पूरी की पूरी कैबिनेट एक साथ… pic.twitter.com/7ouboVnQu4

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) November 30, 2024

He also demanded the suspension of the entire administrative machinery in Sambhal for “negligence and conspiracy.”

Mata Prasad Pandey claimed that both the Home Secretary Sanjay Prasad and Sambhal District Magistrate contacted him, requesting that he postpone the trip.

“They (administration) should have given me a notice as per the rules that I cannot go there, but no written notice was given. They only talk on the telephone. They deployed the police. The Justice Commission is going there, media people are going there, will there be any unrest if we go there? This government is deliberately stopping us to hide all its work,” Mr Pandey said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

The SP delegation initially planned to visit Moradabad before heading to Sambhal, intending to meet victims of the violence and their families. However, these plans were derailed as police refused to allow them to leave Mr Pandey’s residence.

Samajwadi Party state president Shyam Lal Pal echoed Mr Pandey’s claims, stating that the delegation intended to compile a detailed report on the incident for submission to party chief Akhilesh Yadav. The team included high-profile members such as Legislative Council leader Lal Bihari Yadav, MPs Ziaur Rahman Barq, Harendra Malik, and others.

Ziaur Rahman Barq faces charges related to the violence, accused of committing “provocative acts.” Despite this, the Samajwadi leadership maintained that their visit was essential for ensuring transparency and accountability.

Congress state president Ajay Rai has also announced plans for a party delegation to visit the district on December 2.

Amidst the political fallout, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel has formed a three-member judicial commission to investigate the violence. Retired Justice Devendra Kumar Arora of the Allahabad High Court will lead the probe.