Sambhal violence orchestrated by BJP, govt to divert attention from poll rigging: Akhilesh           

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused the BJP of orchestrating the violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district over the survey of a mosque, alleging it was part of a larger strategy to divert attention from electoral malpractice.

Tension erupts over mosque survey in Sambhal

Tensions flared in Sambhal during a second survey of the Mughal-era mosque, which is claimed to be built on the site of an ancient Hindu temple. The police had to use tear gas and "minor force" after locals began pelting stones in protest. According to officials, ten people have been detained and a probe has been launched into the violence.

Survey sparks controversy amidst Bypoll results

The unrest in Sambhal follows a survey of the Jama Masjid last Tuesday, ordered by a local court after a petition claimed the mosque was built on the site of a Hindu temple. Tensions escalated further after the Uttar Pradesh bypoll results, in which Samajwadi Party secured only two seats while the BJP and its ally RLD won seven.

Yadav alleges survey was timed to distract

Yadav, in his response to the developments, leveled serious accusations against the police and the administration. He claimed the survey was deliberately conducted in the morning to disrupt any meaningful discussion about the elections. "A serious incident occurred in Sambhal. A survey team was deliberately sent in the morning to create chaos and divert attention away from election issues," Yadav said.

BJP, government, administration accused of diverting attention

Yadav alleged the violence in Sambhal was orchestrated by the BJP, the government and the administration to shift focus away from what he called the electoral malpractices of the recent bypolls. "What happened in Sambhal was a deliberate move to divert attention from electoral irregularities," he said.

Yadav criticises BJP's manipulation of electoral system

In his criticism of the BJP, Yadav emphasised true victory in a democracy comes from the people, not from manipulating the system. He added, "The new democracy created by the BJP ensures people cannot vote while the system dominates."

Allegations of voting irregularities, booth manipulation

Yadav claimed during the bypolls, the police and administration removed nearly all of the Samajwadi Party’s booth agents and supporters, preventing them from voting. "If voters were prevented from voting, then who cast the votes?" he asked. He also raised concerns about alleged discrepancies in the voting process, claiming there were two types of slips, leading to discrimination.

Haji Rizwan alleges voter suppression in Kundarki by-election

The Samajwadi Party’s candidate for the Kundarki assembly bypoll, Haji Rizwan, also alleged his supporters were prevented from voting. Despite these allegations, the BJP’s Ramveer Singh won the Kundarki bypoll by a margin of over 1.45 lakh votes.