A Muslim family is being pressured both from the government and Hindu extremists to evict its property to enable Hindu devotees to perform rituals in a recently “rediscovered” temple In Sambhal town of Uttar Pradesh.   According to Kashmir Media Service, the family complains that they are being forced to demolish their house to make way for Hindu devotees to perform rituals at the Shri Kartik Mahadev Temple, which the Yogi government claims to have “uncovered” in December 2023. 

The temple, located in the Muslim-majority Khaggo Sarai neighbourhood, has become a flashpoint in the community. According to the administration, the temple had been closed for decades after the Hindu population migrated from the area following riots in 1978. However, locals dispute this narrative, stating that the temple has always been there but was rarely used due to the absence of worshipers.  Mohammad Mateen, a 40-year-old driver, and his family have lived in their home adjacent to the temple since 2002.

The house, built on land Mateen purchased with his own earnings, is now under threat of demolition. The administration claims the house obstructs the “pari karma” (circumambulation) of the temple.  The local police confirmed Mateen’s arrest. The incident has sparked outrage among locals, who see it as part of a broader pattern of targeting Muslims in the area.   Sambhal has been tense since November 2023, when violence erupted during a survey of the Shahi Jamia Masjid. Five people were killed, and a police post was hastily constructed near the mosque.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)