The judicial commission that investigated the violence during the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal on November 24, 2024, has released its findings. The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet reviewed the report on Tuesday (July 21). The commission had submitted the nearly 450-page report to CM Yogi in August last year. The state government will now table it during the Monsoon Session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
Commission Says SP MP’s Statement Triggered Tensions
According to the commission, the main reason behind the violence was a statement by Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq. The report said his remarks sharply worsened the atmosphere in the town and increased tensions between the Pathan and Turk communities. The situation later turned violent, and four people died in the firing.
Report Highlights Change in Sambhal’s Demography
The commission also examined changes in Sambhal’s population. The report said Hindus made up around 45% of the municipal population at the time of Independence, but their share has now fallen to about 15%. The commission said repeated riots, violence, religious conversions, and other incidents over several decades caused this change.
Commission Says Conflict Shifted to Pathan-Turk Rivalry
The report said Hindus remained the main target through riots, alleged love jihad, and religious conversions when their population was above 40%. According to the commission, the conflict shifted to a struggle for dominance between the Pathan and Turk communities after the Hindu population fell below 20%. The report said both communities had remained in conflict for many years.
Report Refers to Barq’s November 22 Statement
The commission also referred to a statement that SP MP Ziaur Rahman Barq made on November 22, 2024. According to the report, Barq said, “We are the owners of this country, not servants or slaves.” The commission said this statement further worsened the situation in the city.
Commission Lists Major Riots Between 1936 and 2019
The report reviewed Sambhal’s history of communal violence. It said the city witnessed 15 major riots between 1936 and 2019, in which 213 people died. According to the commission, 209 of those victims were Hindus. The report also said violence after Holi on March 29, 1978, claimed the lives of 184 Hindus. It added that four Muslims died in all the riots and violent incidents during this period, including two in 1992 and two in 2019.
Report Mentions Religious Sites
The commission said Sambhal once had 68 pilgrimage sites and 19 sacred wells. According to the report, encroachment gradually took over many of these religious places over the years.
Foreign Weapon and Pakistan Link Mentioned
The report also mentioned gangster Shariq Satha. According to the commission, he had links to a fake currency network connected to Pakistan’s intelligence agency. The report further said police recovered a foreign-made pistol after the violence. It carried the marking “Made in USA.”
