UP's Sambhal Jama Masjid to be renamed as ‘Juma Masjid’ amid controversy

On November 24 last year, violence erupted in Sambhal’s Kot Garvi locality during a survey of the Mughal-era mosque, in which four people were killed, while several others sustained injuries.

Lucknow: The contentious ‘Jama Masjid’ of Sambhal, where four people were killed in violence during a court mandated survey of the mosque last year, would be re-christened as ‘Juma Masjid’.

According to reports, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has decided to change the name of the mosque and a new board displaying the changed name was also prepared.

‘’The new board containing the name Juma Masjid has been kept at the police outpost close to the Jama Masjid… it will be put up in the next few days,’’ said an official in Sambhal.

The official claimed that the original name of Jama Masjid was ‘Juma Masjid’ and the same was also mentioned in the records kept with the ASI.

Incidentally, this matter is also pending in the Allahabad High Court and the ASI had referred to the mosque as ‘Juma Masjid’ there as well.

The ‘Jama Masjid’ in Sambhal has been a bone of contention between the Hindus and the Muslims with the former claiming that the mosque was built after demolishing a Hindu temple by Muslim rulers.

Last year, violence had broken out in Sambhal after a district court ordered a survey of the mosque and four people lost their lives in the violence.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also lent support to the claim that the mosque was built after demolishing a Hindu temple. ‘’Sambhal is a fact... Shree Vishnu Hari Temple was demolished by Mir Baki in 1536,’’ he had said.

Adityanath had said that Lord Vishnu’s 10th incarnation would take place in Sambhal according to the ‘Puranas’.