Senior party leaders claim BJP planned violence to target the Muslim community
Mohammad Alamullah | Clarion India
NEW DELHI – A fact-finding report on the recent Sambhal violence has blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the local police. The Samajwadi Party (SP) report claimed that the police fired illegal weapons at the protesters, resulting in the loss of innocent lives, and accused the BJP of pre-planned violence to target the Muslim community.
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow with senior party leaders where the report was released on Tuesday, SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav said the Sambhal incident did not occur suddenly. “It was pre-planned by the BJP and its followers. The police used illegal weapons on innocent youths, leading to tragic losses,” he said.
Strongly criticising the BJP, Yadav called it a “fragile and hard-hearted party.” He accused the ruling party of devaluing human life and deliberately inciting violence in Sambhal.
“BJP has set the entire country on fire and is particularly targeting Uttar Pradesh. If the Samajwadi Party forms the government, we will re-examine all cases and ensure every culprit is brought to justice,” he declared.
Yadav further alleged that the BJP deliberately disrupted communal harmony by exploiting sensitive issues. “The atmosphere was intentionally disturbed in Sambhal to target innocent people,” he added.
The fact-finding report also highlighted serious allegations against the police, accusing them of firing illegal weapons during the incident. Senior party leader and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Mata Prasad Pandey, who led the investigation team, stated, “The police not only used excessive force but also employed illegal weapons, including pistols, which are not standard issue for such operations. Innocent people were targeted, and many were arrested under false charges.”
The report accused the police of crossing all limits of injustice. “The officers tortured people into giving statements and filed fabricated cases to protect the real culprits,” said Pandey.
Party chief Yadav raised concerns over the re-survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, questioning the BJP government’s motives behind the action.
“When the ‘Places of Worship Act 1991’ is already in force, what was the need to conduct a hasty survey? The Yogi (Adityanath) government clearly had other intentions. This was part of a larger plan to provoke violence and gain political mileage,” he asserted.
The SP chief further criticised the state government for preventing the party’s delegation from visiting Sambhal during the initial phase of the violence. “Why was our team stopped from going to Sambhal? What was the government trying to hide?” he questioned.
Yadav announced that if his party returns to power in Uttar Pradesh, a thorough investigation will be conducted into the entire incident, and those responsible will be held accountable. “We will ensure justice for the victims and punish those who conspired to harm innocent people,” he stated.
He accused the BJP government of using a “dual strategy of corruption and injustice” to silence dissent and suppress minority voices. “The BJP government runs on two wheels – corruption and injustice. They are trying to divert attention from their failures by inciting violence and targeting specific communities,” Yadav added.
The fact-finding report details how provocative slogans were raised during the mosque survey and how the situation was manipulated to trigger violence.
“No invitation was extended from the Muslim community for the mosque survey. The entire process was carried out with the intent to create tension. When the situation escalated, the police, acting under political pressure, resorted to firing illegal weapons,” Pandey explained during the press briefing.
Pandey and the Leader of the Opposition in the UP Council, Lal Bihari Yadav, visited Sambhal and met with the families of the victims. Many locals recounted their experiences of being falsely implicated and subjected to police brutality.
A Sambhal resident, speaking anonymously for safety reasons, shared, “We were praying peacefully when suddenly the situation turned chaotic. The police started firing, and many were injured. We were not even involved in any wrongdoing.”
Yadav urged citizens to stay united against communal politics and demanded a transparent judicial probe into the entire incident. “We will not let BJP’s divisive politics succeed. Justice must prevail, and the truth will come out,” he concluded.
The Sambhal incident has sparked widespread outrage, with human rights organisations also demanding accountability from the government. As political tensions rise, the focus remains on ensuring justice for the victims and preventing further communal tensions.
