Wednesday
27th Nov 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Police used tear gas to control the clashes -- Photo: NDTV
Three people have been killed in a clash between Muslims and police in Uttar Pradesh's Sambal after police entered a mosque saying it is to conduct a survey.
The clashes started at 7:30 monday morning when a survey team under a court-appointed advocate commissioner entered the mosque and started work, police told media.
When the survey team tried to enter the mosque, about 1,000 people gathered and clashed with the police. Police used tear gas as the clashes escalated.
Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh told media that three civilians were killed in the clashes and more than 30 policemen, including the Superintendent of Police, were injured, he said.
Moradabad Police Commissioner Ananjay Kumar Singh said 15 people had been arrested in connection with the incident. That includes 3 women.
The mosque is located on the site of a former Hindu temple, according to media reports.As stated by the complaint, the former temple on the site of the mosque was demolished in 1529 by the Mughal Emperor Babur. Evidence of this can be seen in Baburnama and Ain-I-Akbari, the petitioner said.
Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq criticized that even if the survey is done, in such cases, the Places of Worship Act 1991 cannot be changed as it was in 1947.
Akhlesh Yadav, a Samajwadi Party chief, accused the BJP government of conspiring to divert attention from issues related to the last by-election and also said that this is a planned attack by them.
superintendent of police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi, a senior police officer who gave the information, told the media that the perpetrators of the clashes would be identified and action would be taken against them. Despite the unrest, the survey team took photos and videos of the mosque in accordance with the court order and completed a detailed study of the site, he said.