Congress, Samajwadi Party Slam Yogi Government Over Sambhal Violence, Demand Probe

Sambhal (Uttar Pradesh), November 26 – Congress leader KC Venugopal accused the Yogi Adityanath government of orchestrating a “conspiracy to polarize society” following violent clashes in Sambhal. He demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the incident, alleging deliberate state complicity.

“The violence and riots in Sambhal, UP point to a clear conspiracy on the part of the Modi-Yogi ‘double-engine government’ to polarize society. The haste with which the so-called survey was carried out shows a deeper conspiracy to create instability and fear among the people of the region,” Venugopal wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Venugopal also claimed police involvement in escalating the violence, saying, “Multiple ground reports suggest the killings at the hands of the police who deliberately escalated matters to this level. This shows clear complicity of the State in this riot and a neutral, Supreme Court-monitored probe is the need of the hour to restore peace and bring justice to the victims of this mob violence.”

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has also come down heavily on the Yogi government. Party president Akhilesh Yadav and SP MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday to discuss the Sambhal incident and demanded action against those responsible.

Akhilesh Yadav alleged that SP MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barq was falsely implicated in the case. “Our MP was not even in Sambhal during the incident, and despite that, an FIR was lodged against him. It is very unfortunate to know about the young people who have lost their lives in this incident. From all the videos we have, we know it was a riot by the government. The government was looting votes, playing with the EVM machines.. they did riot in Sambhal,” he claimed.

Yadav further criticized the legal process, alleging that a court order was passed without hearing both sides. He demanded strict action against police officials involved.

The violence in Sambhal unfolded on Sunday when an ASI team arrived at the Shahi Jama Masjid to conduct a survey as part of a legal process. This was initiated after a petition filed by senior advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, claiming the mosque was originally a temple. The survey led to a stone-pelting incident, escalating tensions in the region.