LUCKNOW: The winter session of the UP legislature began on a fiery note on Monday with a belligerent opposition raising the issue of the Sambhal violence in which five people lost their lives during the survey of Shahi Jama Masjid in compliance with a local court order on November 24.
The matter was raised by Samajwadi Party members who claimed that Sambhal was pushed into communal violence as part of a pre-planned conspiracy by the ruling BJP for political gains.
However, in a strong rebuttal of the opposition’s allegations, UP CM Yogi Adityanath asserted that their attempts to conceal the truth would fail. "No one can hide the sun, the moon, or the truth for long. The truth will eventually come out," he declared.
CM Yogi stated that the administration was handling the Sambhal incident with fairness and transparency. He said: "A judicial commission has been established to investigate the Sambhal incident, with its members tasked to record statements, hear all parties, and uncover the truth."
He said that the survey of the mosque was conducted in compliance of the court order without any disruption on November 19 and 21. However, the atmosphere was vitiated after inflammatory speeches were delivered before and during Friday prayers from the mosques on November 23. “The situation that unfolded thereafter is known to everyone,” the Chief Minister remarked.
Highlighting the history of unrest in Sambhal, Yogi said that 209 Hindus were killed in Sambhal since 1947 in communal riots, yet not a single word was spoken in support of those innocent victims. "Those shedding crocodile tears now have kept mum over the innocent Hindus who lost their lives," he added.
Referring to NCRB data, CM Yogi claimed that communal riots in Uttar Pradesh had dropped by 97 to 99 percent since 2017. "Since 2017, there have been no riots in UP. But between 2012 and 2017, during the Samajwadi Party's tenure, there were 815 communal riots, and 192 people lost their lives. From 2007 to 2011, there were 616 incidents, with 121 deaths," he pointed out.
He made it clear that only the traditions of Ram, Krishna and Buddha would govern the country and not those of Babur and Aurangzeb.
CM Yogi recalled that Shafiqur Rahman Barq, a former SP MP (who passed away early this year), had once proclaimed himself to be a descendant of Babur and not a citizen of India.
"Will you uphold the legacy of invaders, or the traditions of Ram, Krishna, and Buddha?" he asked the opposition benches.
The CM asked why there was no issue when a Muharram or any Muslim procession passes peacefully through a Hindu locality or a temple, but problems arise when a Hindu procession passes through a mosque or a Muslim-majority area.
He also rejected the opposition’s claim that the chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ during the survey of Shahi Jama Masjid triggered the unrest, saying "Jai Shri Ram" was not provocative. “It is a reflection of our faith. Ram is there in every sphere of our life. If I tell you tomorrow that we don't like the slogan 'Allah-u-Akbar,' will you be okay with that?" the CM asked.
He attacked the opposition, led by SP, accusing them of indulging in politics of ‘Baatne and Katvane’, (division and split) but we have made it clear—'Na Batenge, Na Katenge (neither will we divide nor split)."'
CM Yogi assured the House that anyone found to be involved in stone-pelting in Sambhal or who attempted to disrupt peace would be strictly dealt with.
SP MLA from Sambhal Iqbal Mehmood said that the survey of Jama Masjid was deliberately carried out on November 24 to cover up the poll anomalies which were conducted by the BJP government during the bypoll in Muslim-dominated Kundarki. He claimed that the BJP snatched the voting power of Muslims in Kundarki to wrest the seat. “Police were deliberately deployed to prevent a section of the electorate, primarily Muslims, from voting,” he claimed.
Taking a dig at the SP MLA, Yogi said: "As soon as the truth about your actions in Sambhal came to light, the public erased your from Kundarki.”
Yogi also advocated the need for a uniform civil code in the country, supporting the statement made by Justice Shekhar Yadav, a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court, on the issue. Yogi also condemned the SP and Congress for their no-confidence motion against the Rajya Sabha chairman. "These parties are trying to pressure constitutional institutions to align with their views by force and intimidation," he said.
The SP legislators stormed the well and started raising anti-government slogans forcing Speaker Satish Mahana to adjourn the House for an hour.
