Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has received a detailed report running into nearly 450 pages on the November 24, 2024, violence in Sambhal. The report, prepared by a special committee, examines not only the sequence of events that led to the clashes but also the larger historical and demographic context of communal tensions in the district.
The probe was conducted by a commission headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge Justice D.K. Arora. Former DGP A.K. Jain and retired Additional Chief Secretary Amit Mohan Prasad were members of the commission.
The report was formally handed over to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday in the presence of his Principal Secretary Sanjay Prasad and Principal Secretary (Parliamentary Affairs) J.P. Singh. The commission had been tasked with inquiring into the violence that broke out during a mosque survey on November 24.
According to officials, the committee has described the November violence as premeditated and the result of a larger conspiracy rather than a sudden flare-up. The report has gone into past instances of communal unrest in Sambhal, tracing patterns of mobilisation and the role of local leaders in inflaming passions.
One of the most significant parts of the report deals with demographic change in the district. It notes that Hindus, who once accounted for nearly 45 per cent of Sambhal’s population, now make up only 15 to 20 per cent. The committee has flagged this change as a factor influencing the district’s social and political equations.
Sources said the report makes mention of controversial remarks allegedly made by local Member of Parliament Shafiqur Rahman Barq in the run-up to the violence. He is reported to have told a gathering of worshippers that “we are the owners of this country.”
According to the committee, he also described Turks as rulers while portraying others as servants and slaves. These statements, the report argues, were aimed at provoking sentiments and deepening divides.
The violence on November 24 broke out between two groups – Turks and converted Hindu Pathans. Gunfire was exchanged during the clashes, leading to the death of four people. The report underlines that this was the first time in Sambhal that despite such violence, a large-scale riot did not erupt. It credits the firmness of the police and timely intervention of security forces for preventing escalation.
The committee has documented earlier riots in Sambhal, noting that the district has a long and troubled history of communal strife. By placing the 2024 incident within this timeline, it attempts to show how provocative speeches and local rivalries have repeatedly pushed the district towards unrest.