Key points
- Over 150 people booked for rioting: police
- BJP, Bajrang Dal members named in FIR list
- Claims made that tomb was originally Hindu temple
ISLAMABAD: A mob caused chaos at a centuries-old mausoleum in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district on Monday, claiming the site was originally a Hindu temple where they had the right to offer prayers.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Anoop Kumar Singh said over 150 individuals have been booked for vandalism and disturbing public order. “We have video evidence of people waving saffron flags and chanting ‘Jai Shree Ram’ at the tomb, though no one appeared to be armed,” he said, reports The Economic Times.
In Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, a Hindutva group with raised saffron flags broke through the police barricades to enter a mausoleum (maqbara) in Radeiya Mohalla, claiming it to be a 200-year-old Thakur temple.
According to the administration, the land is recorded as a national… pic.twitter.com/fe552OOQWO
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Those named in the FIR include members of the BJP and Bajrang Dal, among them Dharmendra Singh, Abhishek Shukla, Ajay Singh (District Panchayat Member), Devnath Dhakad, Vinay Tiwari (Municipal Councillor), Pushpraj Patel, Rithik Pal, Prasoon Tiwari, and Pappu Chauhan (Samajwadi Party).
Deploying additional forces
The incident occurred despite tightened security around the tomb of Nawab Abu Samad after BJP district president Mukhlal Pal threatened to conduct Hindu prayers at the site on 11 August, alleging it contained a ‘shivling’ and was originally a temple.
Footage circulating online showed parts of the mausoleum being vandalised and a saffron flag hoisted atop the structure. The police are investigating how the mob breached the cordon. Additional forces from nearby police stations were deployed to restore order.
Pal reiterated claims that the site was a Hindu temple dedicated to ‘Thakur Ji’, later converted into a mausoleum by “invaders”, pointing to religious symbols such as a trident and lotus.
Political purposes
The Math-Mandir Sanrakshan Sangharsh Samiti submitted a memorandum to District Magistrate Ravindra Singh, demanding restoration of what they claimed to be a neglected temple.
In contrast, the Rashtriya Ulema Council urged authorities to protect the historical character of the site. Caretaker Mohammad Nafis stated the nearly 500-year-old structure, built by Emperor Akbar’s grandson, contains the graves of Abu Mohammad and Abu Samad.
SP Anoop Kumar Singh confirmed minor vandalism, stating some carried sticks and threw stones, but denied reports of firearms. The situation is now under control.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak condemned the incident, affirming the government’s neutral stance. He accused the Samajwadi Party of inciting unrest for political purposes.
SP leader Akhilesh Yadav alleged the incident was a BJP ploy to disrupt communal harmony, claiming the public had seen through their tactics.
