SAMBHAL: A Samajwadi Party (SP) delegation on Monday visited Sambhal and distributed cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the Muslim youth allegedly shot dead by the UP police during a court-ordered survey of the Mughal era Shahi jama Masjid on November 24. The cheques were distributed by Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey, who led the SP delegation, at the Public Works Department guest house.He also interacted with the victims’ families.Speaking to reporters, Pandey stated that the UP police are harassing Muslims and that the government has no sympathy for them.”They only know (underworld don) Dawood Ibrahim, they do not know Abdul Hamid or Brigadier Usman who sacrificed their lives for the security of the country’s borders,” he said.”They do not have goodwill in their hearts, they are creating tension between Hindus and Muslims,” the SP leader said.Pandey further accused the BJP of creating bitterness among people for its benefit.”Police have said that those killed in the violence were not shot by them. Whenever illegal weapons are seized, they keep them in a storehouse and when needed, they take them out and claim that the deceased were not killed by police bullets,” he said.At least five Muslim youth including a minor were killed when UP police allegedly opened fire on people protesting the court ordered survey of Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal’s Kot Purvi neighbourhood. Though the police Though the police denied allegations of firing at the protesters, locals including the mosque committee chairman has accused the police of using country-made pistols to fire at the crowd.The opposition parties have alleged a “conspiracy” in the police action against the protesters.After the killings, the entry of outsiders into the district was banned. A delegation of Congress leaders led by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party MPs Priyanka Gandhi and K C Venugopal was stopped by the UP police at the Ghazipur border with Delhi in early December. A delegation of SP MPs that had come to visit Sambhal was also stopped by police.
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