LUCKNOW, India — On Monday, local authorities in a northern Indian city announced the closure of schools and the suspension of internet services in light of violent clashes that resulted in the death of four individuals the previous day. The unrest was ignited by a contentious official survey examining whether a 17th-century mosque was built on the site of a Hindu temple.
In Sambhal, located in Uttar Pradesh state, nearly 1,000 Muslim demonstrators gathered outside the Shahi Jama Masjid on Sunday to block a court-ordered survey team. This survey was initiated following a petition by a Hindu lawyer who asserted that the mosque had been constructed on sacred Hindu grounds. Local administrator, Aunjaneya Kumar Singh, confirmed, “All schools and colleges have been closed and public gatherings have been prohibited.” He added that access to the city would be restricted to outsiders and public representatives without official sanction until November 30, as steps were taken to manage the growing unrest.
What began as a peaceful standoff escalated into turmoil when demonstrators began pelting stones at law enforcement, who in response employed tear gas and other crowd control measures. Krishna Kumar Vishnoi, a police officer, noted, “Some miscreants in the crowd resorted to violence, forcing us to use minor force and tear gas to restore order.” Footage that surfaced on social media depicted violent episodes, including stone-throwing and vehicles set ablaze as law enforcement resorted to using firearms.
Despite the chaos, the court-ordered survey progressed as scheduled. Authorities remained on high alert for any further disturbances, recognizing that such incidents could exacerbate existing communal tensions in a nation where historical grievances continue to incite modern conflicts.
Hindu nationalist groups, often associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, have long maintained that many mosques were erected atop Hindu temples during the reign of the Muslim Mughal dynasty. Analysts contend that these nationalists have gained confidence following Modi’s recent inauguration of a contentious Hindu temple built over the remains of a historic mosque in Ayodhya, marking a significant political victory for the leader as he endeavors to shift India from a secular democracy toward a Hindu-centric state.
The individual who filed the petition in Sambhal references historical documents suggesting that the mosque was established over a Hindu temple that Mughal emperor Babur allegedly demolished in 1529. Supporters of the survey assert it aims to unearth historical facts, while opponents decry it as a breach of the Places of Worship Act of 1991, which safeguards the religious status of sites as they existed in 1947.