Sambhal violence: UP government files status report in SC, says claims made by Masjid committee are misleading

NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday submitted a status report to the Supreme Court stating that the

Shahi Jama Masjid Committee

's claims regarding the location of a well where Hindu rituals were allegedly being performed were misleading.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had stayed all proceedings in the case after the Shahi Jama Masjid committee filed an application (IA) alleging that the Uttar Pradesh government, in its efforts to revive ancient wells in the area, was conducting religious rituals at a well located within the mosque, which could potentially incite violence.
The top court had earlier also asked the State government of UP to file their response to the application filed by the Shahi Jama Masjid committee.
Today, as per the court's aforesaid order, the

UP government

filed a Status Report in which it stated that the well, "

Dharvarah koop

," which is the subject matter of dispute in the application filed by the Shahi Masjid committee, is situated on public land.

"The said subject well is situated near and not inside the disputed religious site, and as such, has no relation/connection with the mosque/disputed religious site...It is submitted that the well is a public well and is not situated anywhere inside the mosque/dispute religious site. In fact, there is no access to the subject well from inside the mosque.", the report says.
Notably, the report states that even the disputed religious site is itself situated on public land.
Further, as per the report, the UP government had formed a three-member committee comprising the SDM, the area officer and the executive officer of the municipal council in Sambhal to examine the status of the well in question.
Upon examining the records, it was stated that the well in question is, in fact, outside the disputed mosque, and there is another mosque situated within the boundary walls of the mosque, locally known as "Yagna koop", which is not interfered with.
"In fact, it may be noted that the Petitioner herein has annexed misleading photographs attempting to show that the subject well is located inside its premises", the report added.
Moreover, according to the report, the UP government is actively working on a plan to revive culturally significant sites in Sambhal District, which includes the conservation and restoration of 19 historically important wells, one of which is the subject well.
The report also states that such a revival of sites would also attract tourism in the region; thus, the petitioners' application is an attempt to thwart the revival process.
"The subject well is part of the 19 wells that are being revived by the district administration for inter alia, rainwater harvesting, water recharge and use by all communities. The revival of these ancient wells would also attract tourism to Sambhal as a culturally and historically significant region. Thus, the report says that the Petitioner's attempt to thwart the said revival process is illegal and detrimental to the ecological preservation and development of the region", the report added.
In view of the submissions made in this Report, the UP government has sought that the application (IA) filed by the Shahi Jama Masjid Committee be dismissed.
The matter is listed for hearing in the Supreme Court tomorrow.