On December 10, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the party's general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi, met in Delhi with the families of those who died during the Sambhal violence on November 24, 2024. This meeting occurred a week after Sambhal Police prevented the Congress leaders from entering the area due to the issue's communal sensitivity.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi met the families of rioters who died in alleged friendly fire in Sambhal Violence (Image: Congress)
An administrative order had been imposed in Sambhal, barring outsiders, including political leaders, from entering the city since the outbreak of violence. Despite this restriction, Gandhi attempted to visit the region but was stopped by the police.
Congress posted photos of the meeting on the social media platform X and stated, “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 denied entry into Sambhal, he criticized the police action as unconstitutional and stated, “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.”
All You Need to Know About the Sambhal Violence
On November 19, a court-ordered survey was conducted at Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, following a petition by Supreme Court Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain and seven co-petitioners. The petition claimed that the mosque was constructed on a site previously housing a temple dedicated to Bhagwan Kalki. The location, a protected monument under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act of 1904, was surveyed under the supervision of the Advocate Commission. To ensure the survey proceeded without incident, a significant police presence was deployed.
On November 24, during the second phase of the survey, tensions escalated outside the Jama Masjid as a mob gathered, chanting religious slogans and resorting to violence. Stones were hurled at the police, vehicles and shops were set on fire, and rioters opened fire on law enforcement. The clashes left 20 police personnel injured, and four rioters were killed in the ensuing chaos, reportedly due to illegal firearms carried by the mob. The District Magistrate confirmed that the survey inside the mosque was completed within two hours, and a report would be submitted to the Civil Court.
Subsequent investigations clarified that the deaths of the rioters were caused by friendly fire, as revealed by post-mortem reports. Two victims were shot with country-made pistols, and a 315-bore bullet, a type not used by the Uttar Pradesh Police, was found in another victim. Sambhal Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Bishnoi stated that police initially used tear gas and rubber bullets to control the mob but were fired upon by the rioters.
The Supreme Court of India has since stayed proceedings in the Sambhal District Court, responding to a plea by the Muslim petitioners. It ordered the sealing of the survey report until further instructions from the High Court. The next hearing is scheduled for January 2025. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has formed a judicial committee to investigate the violence.
Further developments on December 3 revealed startling findings by the forensic team, which recovered foreign-manufactured cartridges from the site of the violence. These included ammunition made in Pakistan and the USA, raising serious security concerns. A cartridge from the Pakistan Ordnance Factory and other shells were found in a nearby drain, prompting heightened security alerts.
Additionally, the Uttar Pradesh government suspended jailer Vikram Yadav and his deputy Praveen Singh after allegations surfaced of violations during a visit by Samajwadi Party leaders to meet 27 accused in the riots. The visiting delegation, including former MP ST Hasan and other leaders, alleged that the accused were mistreated and pledged legal support. An investigation by Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Kuntal Kishore confirmed breaches of the jail manual, leading to further action against jail officials.
Despite these developments, Rahul Gandhi still made an attempt to enter Sambhal. Interestingly, on December 3rd, Sambhal DM Pensiya announced that 33 individuals had been jailed, and 400 people involved in the violence had been identified. He further urged everyone to refrain from visiting Sambhal until December 10th. 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 publicly known, making it improbable that Congress leaders were unaware of it. Despite the existing orders and the District Magistrate's statement issued just a day earlier, Gandhi proceeded with his attempt to visit Sambhal on December 4th.
In a social media post, Congress referred to the individuals they met as "members of the families of victims." However, it is noteworthy that these so-called victims were killed during incidents of friendly fire while engaging in attacks on the police and causing destruction to public and private property.
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