At least three Muslims have been killed after Indian police opened fire on a crowd protesting a government-led survey at the historic Sambhal Jama Mosque in Uttar Pradesh. The mosque, dating back to the Mughal era, has become the centre of a contentious dispute, with radical Hindutva groups claiming that the site was originally home to a Hindu temple.
On Sunday, November 24, a team arrived to carry out the survey following a court order, which had been issued after Hindutva supporters petitioned the Indian judiciary. The petition alleged that a Hindu temple stood where the mosque was constructed in the 16th century. The court ordered the survey as part of an investigation into the validity of these claims, potentially laying the groundwork for the demolition of the mosque.
As the survey team attempted to proceed, worshippers at the mosque gathered to protest, preventing the survey from going forward. Tensions escalated as protesters threw bricks at the police and the surveyors. In response, the authorities opened fire, resulting in the deaths of at least three individuals and several others reportedly injured.
