Shafaqna English- Fears for the future of a mosque in India stoked tensions. Protests had broken out in Sambhal on Sunday (24 Nov 2024) morning after a local court ordered an archaeological survey of a 16th-century Mosque, the Shahi Jama Masjid. Local court is acting on a petition claiming that a Hindu temple once stood in its place.
Amid clashes with the police, at least five people have died from bullet injuries. The families of the victims and other protesters accuse the police of shooting them dead. The police, in turn, say “miscreants opened fire” and they “are investigating the source of the gunfire”.
After the violence, the district authorities snapped the internet, ordered the closure of schools, and barred entry of any outsider as markets remained shut amid a police crackdown and curfew-like situation, locals told Al Jazeera.
Source: ALJazeera