Brajesh Pathak said that according to religious texts, Lord Kalki is expected to be reincarnated in the town, “so every Indian has unwavering faith in Sambhal. In a dig at Opposition parties, he said previous governments that “appeased and divided society” allowed the population balance to deteriorate
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak. PIC/X
Uttar Pradesh (UP) Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Brajesh Pathak on Saturday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government will ensure there is no demographic change in Sambhal. He added that he will discuss the judicial commission report on the November 2024 violence in the town once it is presented to the state cabinet.
“The investigation report has not been made public yet. We will take it to the cabinet, after which we will send it forward for further action. Then we will talk about it,” Pathak told reporters.
On Friday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said the judicial commission report confirmed a conspiracy behind the riots in the town, asserting that there is no place for any demographic shift in the state.
Pathak, however, insisted that his comments on demography were independent of the report, PTI reported.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath constantly bring up that some gangs, at the behest of foreign powers, try to change the demography in UP and other states as part of an organised campaign. Our commitment is to take everyone along. We will not let demographic change happen under any circumstances,” he said, adding that the issue of demographic change in Sambhal has a long history, going back even before 2024, and even before Independence.
“There was a riot in Sambhal in 1924. Many Hindu families were killed. At the time, Mahatma Gandhi asked Jawaharlal Nehru to visit the place. Nehru visited Sambhal from September 8-10, 1924, and on September 12, a 13-page report was submitted to Mahatma Gandhi,” the deputy CM said.
Pathak claimed that Nehru’s report noted that a Harihar temple, built by Prithviraj Chauhan, had been converted into a mosque by Babar. “This historical document shows that the suffering of Hindus in Sambhal did not happen suddenly,” he said.
The deputy CM added that according to religious texts, Lord Kalki is expected to be reincarnated in the town, “so every Indian has unwavering faith in Sambhal.”
In a dig at Opposition parties, he said previous governments that “appeased and divided society” allowed the population balance to deteriorate.
“No action was taken by those governments. But now the situation has changed. Our government will maintain law and order in Sambhal and across the state,” Pathak said.
He said that between 2012 and 2017, appeasement politics was very high under the Akhilesh Yadav government.
“Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, our government is strengthening law and order. After the Sambhal violence, more than 68 mythological sites and 19 ancient wells have been freed from encroachment and restored. Seventy-three hectares of land has been freed by removing 1,067 encroachments in Sambhal. Thirty-seven illegal encroachments were also removed from mosques, shrines, madrassas, and graveyards. The government will not tolerate any illegal occupation,” he stated.
A three-member judicial panel on Thursday submitted its report to the CM on the violence that erupted near the Shahi Jama Masjid on November 24, 2024, during an ASI-monitored survey of the mosque, which claimed four lives and injured several others.
Sources said the report highlights a sharp demographic shift in Sambhal, a plot to target Hindus, and the involvement of radical groups and outside rioters in the unrest.
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav criticised the ruling BJP, calling the narrative of “exodus propaganda” a major failure of the government.
He said, “The propaganda of exodus being spread by BJP leaders and their associates is the biggest failure of the government and shows its inability to bring harmony to society due to its politics of hatred and communalism.”
(With PTI inputs)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
