Sambhal: A high alert has been issued in several districts of Uttar Pradesh ahead of Friday congregational prayers. Additional forces have been deployed in Sambhal, which is at the centre of a dispute between two parties over the Shahi Jama Masjid. Violence has also erupted here on November 24 during a survey of the mosque.
A petition has been filed in a court in Badaun, claiming the Jama Masjid as Harihar Temple, which also prompted police to take extra precautionary measures.
Special aerial surveillance is being done in violence-prone areas of Kashi, Mathura, and Ayodhya. The police administration has also made strict security arrangements for Friday prayers in Sambhal with a huge deployment of police personnel in and around the mosque.
Officials said that at least 30 magistrates have been posted in different areas to maintain law and order during the prayers. Drone cameras have also been pressed for surveillance.
In Sambhal, violence took place on November 24 during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, a 500-year-old mosque. The petitioners of the Hindu side claimed the mosque was built after the demolition of a Hindu temple during the Mughal period.
On November 29, the situation gradually returned to normal after the peaceful conclusion of the Friday prayers. Shops also opened in the violence-hit areas, but the situation continued to remain tense.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given strict instructions to the officials to prevent any untoward incident in Sambhal.
On Thursday, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Moradabad Muniraj G, along with other officials, conducted a flag march in Sambhal. The officials also interacted with representatives of Muslims, including religious leaders, who appealed for peace and asked people to offer congregational prayers in their respective areas' mosques.
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