Sambhal violence: SP leader Mata Prasad Pandey stopped by police outside his house in Lucknow
Sambhal violence: The situation in Sambhal has been tense since the first survey of the city's Jama Masjid was conducted on November 19 on the orders of a local court. The petitioner has claimed that Jama Masjid stands on a previous Harihar temple.
Sambhal violence: A delegation of the Samajwadi Party led by Uttar Pradesh Assembly LoP Mata Prasad Pandey will visit Sambhal today (November 30). The police have stopped Mata Prasad Pandey outside his residence in Lucknow.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Uttar Pradesh Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey, who was to lead the 15-member SP delegation, told media outside his residence in Lucknow that Home Secretary Sanjay Prasad had called him up and requested him to not visit Sambhal.
"The DM Sambhal had also called me up telling me that the ban on entry of outsiders has been extended till December 10. So I will now visit the party office and discuss the issue before deciding on our next action," said Pandey.
"The government perhaps wanted to prevent me to hide its wrongs in Sambhal as our visit would have exposed its several mistakes," he added.
Heavy security was deployed outside Pandey's residence since Friday night.
Notice being served to Mata Prasad Pandey by DM Sambhal asking him not to go there in view of the law and order situation A delegation of the Samajwadi Party led by Mata Prasad Pandey was scheduled to visit Sambhal today.
Samajwadi Party MP Harendra Malik on SP delegation to visit Sambhal
On Samajwadi Party (SP) delegation to visit Sambhal, Samajwadi Party MP Harendra Singh Malik said, "What is the ground reality? How did the incident on 24th November take place? We will keep the reality in front of the nation. If the government allows us we will tell the reality in the Parliament also. We will also want the investigation to be conducted based on truth...We don't have trust in the investigation being conducted in Sambhal by the state government and police. When the district administration is involved in the incident then the government should conduct investigation from other means also...The Sambhal incident is very unfortunate...We will not do anything with which the situation in Sambhal will deteriorate...If they have any problem with our delegation visiting Sambhal they should conduct videography...If the administration allows us we will visit Sambhal."
Sambhal district administration prohibits entry of outsiders till Dec 10
In a bid to maintain peace and order in the district, the Sambhal district administration on Saturday prohibited the entry of outsiders till December 10.
"No outsider, any social organisation or any public representative can enter into the borders of the district without seeking the permission of the competent authority till December 10," Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya in a statement issued here.
The move assumes significance as it came on a day when a 15-member delegation of the Samajwadi Party (SP) was to visit Sambhal to gather information about the violence that broke out after a survey in the Shahi Jama Masjid complex.
SP state president Shyam Lal Pal had said earlier on Friday that a party delegation will go to Sambhal on Saturday on the instructions of party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
The team will submit the report to the party chief after taking detailed information about the violence that took place there, he said.
A note shared earlier on 'X' by the SP state president had said that the delegation includes Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Lal Bihari Yadav, SP state president Shyamlal Pal, MPs Ziaur Rahman Barq, Harendra Malik, Ruchi Veera, Iqra Hasan and Neeraj Maurya.
Ziaur Rahman Barq has been booked in connection with the November 24 violence for allegedly committing "provocative acts".
MLAs Kamal Akhtar, Ravidas Mehrotra, Nawab Iqbal Mahmood and Pinky Singh Yadav will also be part of the delegation, the note said.
The Samajwadi Party had earlier postponed the proposed visit of its delegation after getting assurance from the Director General of Police of a fair investigation into the violence.
Pandey had said in a press conference last Tuesday: "I was supposed to leave for Sambhal at 10 am today, but in the meantime, I spoke to the Director General of Police.
We told him that our people are being framed, even FIRs have been lodged against those who were not present there."
Pandey said the DGP assured him of a fair investigation and asked them to visit Sambhal after three days. Meanwhile, Congress state president Ajay Rai told media that a party delegation will go there on December 2.
Violence erupted earlier on November 24 as the protesters gathered near the mosque and clashed with security personnel, leading to stone pelting and arson. Four people died and several others, including policemen, were injured in the violence.
The police have denied firing at the protesters opposing the survey. The Sambhal district administration has imposed prohibitory orders in the district.