Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, an MP from Sambhal representing the Samajwadi Party, has approached the Allahabad High Court with a petition seeking a stay on his arrest. The move comes in connection with violent clashes that occurred in Sambhal during a court-ordered survey of a mosque. Barq’s plea also requests the quashing of the FIR registered against him.
In his petition, the Sambhal MP contended that his arrest would cause “irreparable harm” and asserted that the charges against him were politically motivated. Denying any involvement in the violence, which claimed five lives and left several injured, Barq accused Uttar Pradesh’s ruling BJP of using false accusations to harass and intimidate him, reports India Today.
The FIR names both Barq and Sohail Iqbal, son of local MLA Iqbal Mehmood. Police allege that Barq made provocative statements at the Shahi Jama Masjid in the days leading up to the unrest, which they claim incited the violence.
Barq, however, maintains that he was not in Sambhal at the time of the incident or the survey. According to him, he was in Bengaluru and later remained in Delhi after learning about the FIR. He stated that while he wanted to return to Sambhal to help de-escalate tensions, he chose to stay away due to the legal case. Instead, he claims to have reached out to community members over the phone.
