Police have arrested 25 persons and registered seven FIRs against over 2,750 unidentified suspects
Waquar Hasan | Clarion India
NEW DELHI – The Uttar Pradesh government plans to put up posters of the Sambhal violence accused at a public place and make them pay for the damages caused by the rioting during the survey of the city’s Jama Masjid. The plan came to light even as the brutal police action was under the scanner. Six Muslims were killed and scores injured in the violence that rocked the city on Sunday.
“The UP government is adopting a firm stance against the individuals involved in the Sambhal violence. Posters of the stone pelters and miscreants will be displayed publicly, and recovery of damages will be sought. A reward may also be announced for information leading to their arrest,” an official spokesperson told the media on Wednesday.
The police action has severely been criticised in several quarters. Opposition leaders, Muslim groups and activists slammed the police and the ruling party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the deaths accusing them of fueling the tension.
Speaking to Clarion India, former IPS officer SR Darapuri said “If you look at the issue in totality, the unrest was created for fuelling the communal passion between Hindu and Muslim in view of the 2027 state elections. Unfortunately, the police also do not seem to be acting fairly… Under the present rule and circumstances, the police no longer act reasonably. Some officers behave as workers of the ruling party”.
Talking about the police firing, he said the police force should have opened fire only to control the crowd when there was stone-pelting. They should not fire to kill people.
“When you aim the target, you should keep it below the waist so that people do not die. The target should get injured only in the leg. This way, the crowd could be stopped from resorting to unruly behaviour. But the way the police opened fire in Sambhal it appears they aimed above the waist,” he said.
Darapuri also rejected the police’s claim that the deceased did not die in their firing. He pointed out that no one in the crowd was seen having a firearm. The police force is the only one which is opening fire. The way it opened the fire can cause death for sure, he said.
Meanwhile, the government has claimed that the violence was a result of a dispute between two Muslim groups, Turks and Pathans. These groups are being represented by Sambhal MP Zia ur Rahman Burq and MLA Nawab Iqbal Mehmood.
State Minister Nitin Agarwal said “The arson and violence in Sambhal is the result of the politics of supremacy. The Turk-Pathan dispute not only disrupted the peace but also raised questions about the safety of common people. The promptness of the UP police is commendable”.
So far, police have arrested 25 individuals and registered seven FIRs, naming Samajwadi Party MP Burq, Sohail Iqbal, son of MLA Mehmood, along with over 2,750 unidentified suspects.
Darapuri also criticised the plan of the government to put up the posters of the accused saying that no law permits this. He cited the Allahabad High Court’s direction to remove such posters when they were put up during the anti-CAA protests.
