Muslim leaders allege fear, bias and misuse of power after Sambhal survey after bulldozer action against mosques and madrasas
SAMBHAL — Mamlukur Rahman Barq, father of Samajwadi Party MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, has strongly criticised the Yogi Adityanath government over the recent demolition of mosques and madrasas in Sambhal, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is attempting to turn the town into “a new Ayodhya”.
Speaking after police action linked to a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, Barq described the drive as “bulldozer justice” and said it was not routine administration but a show of force. “What happened in Sambhal is not normal government work. It is an open display of power and indifference,” he said.
Barq questioned official claims surrounding the demolitions. “First it was said that people themselves demolished the mosque. Then a madrasa was razed with a bulldozer. In some places two mosques were targeted, elsewhere a madrasa. Every time, it is the poor, the weak and the helpless who suffer,” he said.
Raising concerns about the rule of law, Barq asked whether justice could be delivered through force alone. “Is this the law? Will justice be achieved only through bulldozers, without dialogue and without humanity?” he said. “People are being displaced in the name of government land. Religious places are being demolished, and later explanations are offered through reports. This is not good governance. This is rule by fear.”
He reminded the authorities of constitutional limits. “The Constitution is bigger than bulldozers. Justice comes from law, not from power,” Barq said, adding that interference with the faith of poor Muslims would not be accepted. “Questions will be asked, voices will be raised. Silence will not be maintained.”
Barq’s remarks have drawn wide attention in political circles and found strong support among local residents, many of whom say the actions have created anxiety across the Muslim community in Sambhal.
Maulana Chand Mian, a senior religious scholar, publicly backed Barq’s statement. “What Mamlukur Rahman Barq has said is correct,” Chand Mian said. “Such incidents are happening daily in Uttar Pradesh. The thinking of the government is under question. What we see in Sambhal looks like an attempt to create Ayodhya-like conditions.”
He criticised surveys around mosques, alleging they were being used to target one community. “Searching for temples around mosques is a form of harassment,” he said. “An agenda is being pushed to defame Muslims. The administration and the government appear to be working together in this.”
Chand Mian also questioned security measures near religious sites. “Who is the checkpoint in front of the mosque meant to frighten?” he asked. “It seems one group is being pleased while another is being troubled.”
Warning against rising tension, he said, “When situations are pushed to extremes, people come out on the streets. But this country has laws, courts and a free press. These matters should be handled through legal means.”
He concluded with a political note of caution. “Governments do not last forever. Times change, and in the end, the people will decide,” Chand Mian said.
As the debate grows, Muslim leaders insist that their opposition is not against the law but against selective action and collective punishment. They say Sambhal’s peace depends on fairness, restraint and respect for the Constitution, not fear created by bulldozers.
