"Everyone has to live according to law and order": UP Minister condemns Sambhal incident

Agra (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 24 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Minister Yogendra Upadhyay on Sunday condemned the stone pelting at an ASI team surveying a Mughal-era mosque in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal and asserted that everyone has to live according to law and order under UP CM Yogi Adityanath's governance.
"I condemn this action. It is reprehensible to disobey the order given by the court. Failure to follow the court's order is a big crime... Under Yogi Adityanath's rule, everyone has to live according to law and order, despite their class or status in society," Upadhyay said.
Earlier today, National President of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi criticised the stone pelting and vandalism in Sambhal and appealed to the Muslim community to maintain peace and tranquillity in the district.
Speaking to ANI, Maulana Barelvi said, "Stone pelting and vandalism is not appropriate. I appeal to the Muslims of Sambhal to maintain Islam's teachings of peace and tranquillity. As far as the court proceedings are concerned, the Jama Masjid is ours. Its towers, walls, and domes hold proof that it is a Tarikhi Masjid. We will fight this through law and strong evidence, and the success will be ours."
Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the administration of orchestrating the incident to prevent any discussion on "election fraud."
"In the morning, a survey team was sent to disrupt the environment so that no one could discuss the elections. During this clash, many young people were injured, and one even lost his life. If the survey had already been conducted, why did the government conduct another survey, that too early in the morning and without preparation? I won't delve into legal and court procedures, but there was no one to hear the other side. What happened in Sambhal was orchestrated by the BJP and the administration to prevent any discussion on the election fraud," the SP leader said.
An ASI team that arrived at the Shahi Jama Masjid to conduct a survey of the mosque in Sambhal district amid heavy police deployment faced stone-pelting from some "anti-social elements" on Sunday morning, police said.
This survey was part of a legal process following a petition filed by senior advocate Vishnu Shanker Jain, who claimed the mosque was originally a temple.
A similar survey was previously conducted on November 19, with local police and members of the mosque's management committee present to oversee the process. (ANI)