Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Vishnu Shankar Jain, the petitioner in the Sambhal mosque case, denied allegations of leading a mob that raised “Jai Shree Ram” slogans, which allegedly triggered riots during the court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era Jama Masjid. He accused Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Asaduddin Owaisi, and others of spreading false claims about his involvement.
Jain asserted that the accusations were baseless and politically motivated. “Akhilesh Yadav, Owaisi, Samajwadi Party’s Sambhal MP, the party’s media cell, and the secretary of the Gyanvyapi Mosque committee have spread misinformation. They claim I led a mob, causing the riots. This is a false allegation,” he told ANI.
Vishnu Jain’s Clarification
The senior advocate clarified that slogans were indeed raised, but only when he was leaving the site under police escort through a Hindu-majority area.
“When the survey ended, the police escorted me. In the Hindu-majority area, people raised slogans of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ upon seeing me. I did not raise these slogans. The threats I am receiving are due to these false claims,” he said.
Jain also blamed the SP’s Sambhal MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barq and others for creating a volatile environment and inciting the violence.
Police Action in Sambhal
The Uttar Pradesh Police has released photographs of suspects involved in stone pelting during the violence. An FIR filed by the police names SP’s Sambhal MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barq, MLA Iqbal Mahmood’s son Sohail Mahmood, and others for allegedly inciting violence.
The clashes erupted during the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) inspection at the mosque, leaving five people dead and 20 police personnel injured. Advocate Zafar Ali, a member of the mosque’s management committee, is also accused of leaking details of the survey, allegedly aiding preparations for resistance by the accused lawmakers.
