The political landscape of Uttar Pradesh saw a storm on Tuesday when Shyam Lal Pal, President of the Samajwadi Party, stated there was no temple discovered in the Sambhal district. His comments surfaced following the local administration's decision to reopen a temple that had been sealed since 1978.
According to local authorities, during excavation near the Bhasma Shankar temple, three statues were unearthed at a depth of roughly four to six inches. Local residents claimed the temple had been locked following communal riots in 1978, leading the local Hindu community to abandon the area. Addressing the matter of reopening the temple, Pal remarked, 'No temple has been found anywhere... Go and see the excavation for yourself. No temple has been unearthed... Except for the Ayodhya case, all religious sites remain unchanged... We should live in harmony... The BJP has snatched peace away from the people.'
'Neither Hindu nor Muslim in Danger...'
Shyam Lal Pal launched a scathing attack on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, asserting that neither Hindus nor Muslims are endangered in India, but rather the backward communities are under threat. Tensions erupted in Sambhal this November during protests by the Muslim community against the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. This survey was conducted following a court order issued based on a petition that claimed the site was that of the Harihar Temple, seeking permission for worship there.
SP Never Closed Sambhal Temple: Ram Gopal Yadav
Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav dismissed Yogi Adityanath's allegations that past SP governments prevented the temple from reopening. Ram Gopal Yadav insisted, 'The claim that we shut down the Sambhal temple is false. Those who owned the land decided to leave and lock it themselves. If someone dressed in saffron robes is lying, there's no remedy for that.'
CM Yogi Addresses Assembly, Criticizes SP
On December 16, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed the assembly, criticizing the Samajwadi Party for refusing to reopen the temple during their rule. The CM noted, 'They (Samajwadi Party) never allowed the temple to open since 1978, which is now being reopened.' Meanwhile, local administration in Sambhal commenced actions on Tuesday to remove unauthorized structures near Bhasma Shankar.
