New Delhi: Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind(M) strongly condemned the tragic police firing in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, that claimed the lives of three Muslim youths during a survey at the historic Jama Masjid. Holding the Uttar Pradesh government and police administration accountable, Jamiat President Maulana Mahmood Madani criticised the incident as a glaring act of oppression and discrimination.
Maulana Madani emphasised that every individual has the constitutional right to live with dignity, regardless of religion, caste, or beliefs. “When a government adopts a discriminatory approach that devalues the lives and dignity of a particular community, it violates the Constitution and undermines the rule of law,” he added.
Maulana Madani highlighted Jamiat’s prior warnings about the risks of communal provocations, such as the push for temple claims under mosques, which he described as an attack on national peace and unity. “The Sambhal incident tragically validates our concerns,” he noted.
He expressed concern that while residents cooperated with the court-appointed survey team on the first day, tensions escalated on the day of the incident due to provocative actions by individuals accompanying the team.
“Why were such individuals allowed to accompany the survey team to the Jama Masjid? Why did the police fail to prevent them from raising slogans that incited tensions against a specific community?” he questioned.
Madani also criticised the local court’s decision to order the survey without hearing the mosque committee’s perspective, calling it a deviation from legal principles. He expressed hope that higher courts would rectify this, emphasising that India’s Constitution protects religious sites as they existed in 1947, a provision essential for national unity and integrity.
Calling for a judicially supervised investigation, Maulana Madani urged authorities to ensure accountability for the police officers involved. He also demanded justice for the families of the deceased and extended his condolences to them.
“The police must act responsibly to maintain peace and social cohesion, not escalate tensions,” he said. He called on the public to remain calm and avoid retaliatory actions, emphasising the importance of restraint in these challenging times.
Jamiat General Secretary Maulana Hakimuddin Qasmi has been in continuous communication with local authorities in Sambhal to help restore peace and order.
