Sambhal: A right-wing outfit here on Wednesday said it has written to the president, the prime minister, the chief justice of India and the Union Home Ministry, demanding an investigation into the 1978 riots in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh.
The development comes days after Uttar Pradesh Police rejected reports that the 1978 communal riots in Sambhal, which claimed several lives, will be reinvestigated.
Hindu Shakti Dal's national president Simran Gupta said that a detailed investigation was necessary to uncover the truth about the violence, alleging that the state and central governments at the time protected the accused.
"During the riots in Sambhal in 1978, efforts were made to shield the perpetrators, resulting in 48 accused being acquitted. The families of the victims have not received justice to this day," Gupta told PTI.
He called upon Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to initiate an inquiry. "A CBI and NIA investigation is essential to uncover the reality and deliver justice to the families of the victims," Gupta added.
Hindu Shakti Dal describes itself as an organisation focused on safeguarding Sanatan Dharma. It claims to have approximately 30,000 members across the country.
Gupta also highlighted some of the group's recent actions, including his reported involvement in purchasing six properties formerly associated with Dawood Ibrahim in Mumbai, filing a petition concerning the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, and an ongoing legal effort related to the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal.
On November 24, violence broke out during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in the Kot Garvi area in Sambhal, leading to the death of four people and injuries to several others, including security personnel.
Earlier on January 10, CM Adityanath said no controversial structure should be referred to as "a mosque", asserting that tenets of Islam are "against constructing a mosque-like structure" at disputed sites.
