Sambhal violence: Ban on outsiders' entry extended to December 10

SEVERAL Samajwadi Party lawmakers were stopped from entering the violence-hit Sambhal district, as the administration on Saturday extended the ban on the entry of outsiders to till December 10.

The earlier prohibition on outsiders' entry was to expire on Saturday.

The Samajwadi Party's Muzaffarnagar MP Harendra Malik was stopped from entering Sambhal from Ghaziabad.

"I don't understand why we are being stopped. Are the opposition leader and the MPs so irresponsible that they can't be allowed to move within the state?" Malik asked.

In a statement issued in Sambhal, District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya said, "To maintain peace and order, the imposition of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita in the district has been extended to December 31."

"No outsider, any social organisation or public representative can enter into the borders of the district without seeking the permission of the competent authority till December 10," he added.

Tension had been brewing in Sambhal since November 19 when the court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era mosque was carried out following claims that a Harihar temple previously stood at the site.

Violence erupted during a second survey on November 24 as protesters gathered near the mosque and clashed with security personnel. Four people died and several others were injured in the clashes. The police have denied allegations that it fired at the protesters.

The Supreme Court has since ordered the Sambhal court to halt proceedings in the case and its survey.

Traffic was choked at the Ghaziabad border as the police stepped up vigil to ensure that no one could move towards Sambhal.

Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey, who was to lead the delegation, told reporters outside his Lucknow residence that Home Secretary Sanjay Prasad called him and requested him to not visit Sambhal.

In a post in Hindi on X, the Samajwadi Party said the government deploying police at the homes of leaders included in the delegation and preventing them from travelling to Sambhal was "reprehensible".

"The BJP government is hiding the truth of the Sambhal violence. The Samajwadi Party delegation should have been given permission to visit," it said.

In another post, it alleged that the Yogi Adityanath government was scared of the delegation.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the situation in Sambhal was peaceful.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak alleged the violence was a fallout of one-upmanship between the local MP and the MLA.

Sambhal MP Barq has been booked in connection with the November 24 violence for "provocative acts". (PTI)