Lucknow: The district administration of Sambhal has imposed a ban on the entry of outsiders into the area until December 10, in a bid to maintain law and order following violent clashes triggered by a court-ordered mosque survey. The decision comes after violent unrest on November 24, which led to the deaths of five individuals and left 20 police officers injured.
District Magistrate Rajendra Pandiya issued the directive, which prohibits the entry of social groups and political representatives into Sambhal without prior permission from the concerned authorities. This new order extends an earlier ban that was set to expire on December 1.
Tensions increased when a 15-member team from the Samajwadi Party, headed towards the affected region, was stopped at the Ghaziabad border. Party leader Akhilesh Yadav strongly condemned the action, accusing the ruling BJP of poor governance and attempting to conceal the real cause of the violence. BJP leaders, in turn, blamed the unrest on "criminal elements backed by the Samajwadi Party."
Samajwadi Party MP Harendra Malik, who was part of the detained delegation, explained that their visit was aimed at assessing the situation on the ground and reporting back to the government. "If we are stopped, we will enter the district through alternative means," he said, underscoring their determination to ensure transparency.
The detained group staged a sit-in protest against the ban, with MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq criticizing the government’s move. He argued that the administration was trying to shield the police from scrutiny over their actions during the clashes.
Akhilesh Yadav further criticized the district's administration, calling the ban a sign of the BJP government’s failure in maintaining order. He demanded a complete revamp of the local administration in Sambhal, suggesting that mismanagement had played a role in the violence.
In response, Uttar Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak urged Yadav to focus on resolving issues within his own party, claiming that the violence was linked to individuals with ties to the Samajwadi Party.
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