Uttar Pradesh: Muslim residents demolish own homes near 'ancient' temple's land in Sambhal; Read
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Dec 18, 2024, 9:59 AM ISTAfter the discovery of an "ancient" temple in Sambhal, Muslim residents have started demolishing their homes built on temple land. The district administration has launched an anti-encroachment drive, with CCTV surveillance in place to monitor the area.
Sambhal: Following the discovery of an "ancient" temple last week in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, Muslim residents in the area have begun demolishing their homes, which were reportedly constructed on temple land. To address the situation, the district administration has initiated a large-scale anti-encroachment campaign and installed CCTV cameras to monitor the site.
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A resident, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed as quoted by TOI, "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 development came as the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation continued its inspections in minority-dominated areas of Sambhal. On Tuesday, a smart meter was installed at the residence of Samajwadi Party MP Zia-Ur Rahman, who had recently received a notice for alleged illegal construction under his name. To date, power theft has been discovered in several homes, leading to fines totaling Rs 1.3 crore.
ASP Shrish Chandra stated that the power department had requested police security to carry out anti-theft operations in certain areas of Sambhal, particularly near the Jama Mosque. During the drive, multiple houses were found to be involved in electricity theft.
The anti-encroachment drive follows the violence in Sambhal on November 24, which erupted during a court-ordered Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) inspection of the Jama Masjid. The clash resulted in five deaths and over 20 police injuries. The survey was initiated after claims that the mosque was built on the remains of a Hindu temple, allegedly demolished during the Mughal era. On November 29, the Supreme Court instructed the Sambhal trial court to suspend the proceedings against the mosque until the Allahabad High Court reviews the masjid committee's challenge to the survey order.
The discovery of an "ancient" Shiva temple began after an anti-encroachment drive around the Shahi Jama Masjid area. The temple was found hidden inside a locked house, which had been abandoned by its Hindu occupants following the 1978 riots. The house reportedly encroached upon for several decades, contained a deteriorating structure where officials uncovered a Shivling and a Hanuman statue.
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