Akhilesh Yadav Challenges Yogi Adityanath Over Sambhal Violence

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav confronted Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, critiquing Yogi Adityanath's administration over Sambhal violence. He condemned the booking of MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barq, claiming his absence from the scene, labeling it a politically motivated riot. Yadav demanded police accountability following the mosque survey triggered stone pelting.

In a significant political maneuver, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, alongside party leaders, approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday, voicing concerns over the recent Sambhal violence. Opposition members were eager to bring this issue into the parliamentary discourse, focusing their criticism on Yogi Adityanath's government.

Yadav previously accused authorities of unjustifiably targeting party MP Zia-ur-Rahman Barq, alleging that Barq was wrongly booked despite not being in Sambhal at the time. 'Our MP wasn't present during the incident, yet he faces an FIR,' Yadav lamented. He further condemned the tragic loss of young lives and claimed, 'The riot was orchestrated by the government, manipulating EVM machines and looting votes.'

Yadav has called for stern action against the implicated police officials. The controversial incident unfolded on Sunday when stone-pelting erupted following an ASI team's arrival at Shahi Jama Masjid for a fresh survey, incited by a legal petition from senior advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain asserting the mosque's original status as a temple.

(With inputs from agencies.)