Congress MP Manish Tiwari expressed deep sorrow over the recent violence in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, emphasizing the need to address the issue in Parliament. Highlighting the importance of peace, Tiwari said:
“Whatever happened in Sambhal is very sad. We are trying to raise this issue in the Parliament. For the growth and progress of the nation, it is very important to ensure peace and harmony in the nation.”
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari also questioned the state government and district administration’s decision to block an opposition party delegation from visiting the area. He remarked:
“What is the district administration hiding? Why does the state government not want the opposition to visit Sambhal? They should allow the delegation to visit Sambhal.”
Echoing this sentiment, Pramod Tiwari cited a Samajwadi Party (SP) leader’s call for cooperation, saying:
“The Samajwadi Party leader has said that the opposition, of whatever party, will help with calming down the area and instill confidence in the region. But the delegation has been asked to stop and we will stop, we just want to cooperate, not confrontation.”
The Samajwadi Party criticized the state government, alleging the unjust treatment of their Uttar Pradesh party president, who was reportedly put under house arrest. In a post on X, the party stated:
“Yogi government is afraid of SP delegation! On the orders of the government, the police prevented the honourable state president Shri Shyam Lal Pal ji from coming to Sambhal and put him under house arrest. The BJP government is tearing apart the constitution and democracy. Highly condemnable.”
Violence erupted in Sambhal following a court-ordered Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) inspection of the Jama Masjid on November 19. The survey stemmed from a local petition claiming the site was originally a Harihar temple. Clashes ensued between the police and locals, resulting in four deaths.