On 10th December, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the party’s general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi, met the families of the rioters who died during the Sambhal violence on 24th November 2024. The meeting was held in Delhi a week after the Congress leaders were stopped by the Sambhal Police from entering the region due to the communally sensitive nature of the matter.
Notably, there was an administrative order in place in Sambhal prohibiting any outsider, including political leaders, from entering the city since the violence broke out last month. Despite the order, Gandhi attempted to enter Sambhal, and the police had to stop them.
आज नेता विपक्ष श्री @RahulGandhi और कांग्रेस महासचिव व सांसद श्रीमती @priyankagandhi जी ने संभल के पीड़ितों से मुलाक़ात की।
— Congress (@INCIndia) December 10, 2024
संभल में हुई घटना BJP की नफ़रती राजनीति का दुष्परिणाम है और यह शांतिपूर्ण समाज के लिए घातक है।
हमें साथ मिलकर इस हिंसक और नफ़रती मानसिकता को मोहब्बत और… pic.twitter.com/fi4zTcpT2m
Congress shared photographs of the meeting on the social media platform X and wrote, “Today, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary and MP Priyanka Gandhi met the victims of Sambhal. The incident in Sambhal is the ill-effect of the BJP’s hate politics and is fatal for a peaceful society. Together, we have to defeat this violent and hateful mentality with love and brotherhood. We stand with all the victims and will fight to get them justice.”
When Gandhi was stopped from entering Sambhal, he termed the police action unconstitutional and said, “It is my right to go, and I am ready to go alone. We only want to witness what happened there and meet the people. However, my constitutional right is being denied.” He further accused the ruling party of undermining democratic principles and added, “This is ‘naya Hindustan,’ where attempts are being made to end Ambedkarji’s Constitution. But we will keep fighting.”
Everything you need to know about the Sambhal violence
On 19th November, a court-mandated survey was conducted at Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. The court ordered the survey in response to a petition filed by Supreme Court Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, and seven co-plaintiffs, asserting that the mosque occupies the site of a temple dedicated to Bhagwan Kalki. The site in question is a protected monument under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act of 1904. The survey was carried out under the supervision of Advocate Commission. A heavy police force was deployed in the area to ensure the survey proceeded peacefully.
However, on 24th November, during the second round of court-mandated survey at Jama Masjid, Islamist mobsters gathered outside the mosque and engaged in violence. They pelted stones at police, opened fire at police personnel and set ablaze vehicles and shops. At least 20 police personnel were injured during violence and four mobsters were killed in the mayhem, likely from illegal guns carried by rioters. As per reports, as the survey was going on inside the mosque, Muslims living in the area gathered outside the Jama Masjid and raised religious slogans. The District Magistrate of Sambhal confirmed that the survey was completed in around two hours and stated that a report would be submitted to the Civil Court.
In the aftermath of the Sambhal violence on 24th November, police have clarified that the deaths of the rioters occurred due to friendly fire among themselves, not by the police. Post-mortem reports revealed that two victims were shot with country-made pistols, while the 315-bore bullet was found inside the body of another victim, a type not used by Uttar Pradesh Police. Sambhal SP Krishna Kumar Bishnoi stated that the police initially fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the mob but were fired upon by rioters.
The Supreme Court of India has stayed the hearing in the District Court, Sambhal, in response to plea filed by the Muslim side. Furthermore, the survey report submitted by the Advocate Commissioner has been ordered to be sealed and not to be opened till an order is passed by the High Court in the matter. Next hearing in the matter will be in January 2025. A judicial committee was formed by CM Yogi Adityanath to investigate the cause of the violence.
Some shocking revelations, however, have been made by the investigating team. On 3rd December, the forensic team recovered cartridges made in Pakistan and the USA from the violence-hit area. According to media reports, police uncovered Sambhal violence’s link to Pakistan after discovering an empty cartridge manufactured in the Pakistan Ordnance Factory. The cartridge was recovered alongside five others from a drain at the site of the 24th November violence. The recovery of international ammunition has raised serious concerns, and the security agencies have been alerted about the discovery. The cartridges included two 12-bore and two 32-bore shells along with 9 mm shells of foreign origin.
On 3rd December, UP government suspended jailer Vikram Yadav and his deputy Praveen Singh, a day after a group of Samajwadi Party leaders visited the Moradabad jail in Uttar Pradesh to meet with the accused who were charged with involvement in the Sambhal riots. Director General (Prison Administration and Reform Services) PV Ramasastry stated that a report against jail superintendent PP Singh has been forwarded to the state government for action because he is a Group A officer. He added that the action against the said officers was taken after Deputy Inspector General (prisons) Kuntal Kishore conducted an investigation and concluded that the jail manual was flouted. The action was taken after the SP delegation, which included former Parliament member ST Hasan, Nawab Jaan Khan, and Chaudhary Samarpal Singh, visited the Moradabad jail to meet with 27 accused for their role in the Sambhal riots. The Samajwadi Party leaders claimed that the accused were assaulted and that they would provide legal assistance to the accused rioters.
Despite all this, Rahul Gandhi still attempted to enter Sambhal. Notably, on 3rd December, Sambhal DM Pensiya announced that 33 people were sent to jail and 400 individuals involved in violence were idenitified so far. He also requested everyone not to visit Sambhal till 10th December. He had said, “So far, 33 people have been sent to jail. Security remains in place in Sambhal, and full vigilance is being maintained. More than 400 individuals have been identified. We have requested everyone to refrain from visiting until December 10 due to the sensitivity of the situation”. His statement was already in public domain and it is unlikely that Congress leaders were not aware of it. Despite the orders in place and statement by DM just a day before, Gandhi went ahead and attempted to visit Sambhal on 4th December.
In the post on social media, Congress has called he people they met “members of the families of victims”. Interestingly, these so-called victims died in friendly fire. They were out their attacking police and setting public and private properties ablaze.
OpIndia accessed the petition filed by the plaintiffs in the case. Ours detailed report on petition can be checked here.
