On 16th February, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) supremo Asaduddin Owaisi claimed that Muslims residing in the communally sensitive Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh are being forced to migrate. While questioning the supposed silence of the Uttar Pradesh government on the alleged forced displacement of Sambhal Muslims, Owaisi downplayed past incidents wherein Hindus were forced to leave their homes due to Muslim harassment.
Taking to X, Asaduddin Owaisi quoted a post that had a newspaper cutting attached claiming that thousands of houses are locked in Sambhal and people are forced to flee. He said, “Sambhal is now engulfed in such an atmosphere of fear and oppression that people are being forced to leave their homes. The government must stop targeting Muslims in Sambhal and giving them collective punishment; steps for confidence-building should be taken as soon as possible. Modi and the BJP repeatedly spread false rumours that there was an ‘exodus’ of Hindu society in some areas, and every time it was proven to be false. Here, even the police and administration admit that Muslims are being forcibly displaced, so why is the government silent?”
संभल में इतना डर और ज़ुल्म का माहौल बना दिया गया है कि लोग अपने घर छोड़ने पर मजबूर हो रहे हैं। सरकार को संभल के मुसलमानों को निशाना बनाना और उन्हें इज्तिमाई सज़ा देना बंद करना होगा, जल्द से जल्द एतिमाद-साज़ी के क़दम उठाए जाने चाहिए। मोदी और भाजपा ने बार-बार झूठी अफ़वाह फैलाई थी… https://t.co/Iz7lRMTQx2
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) February 16, 2025
However, contrary to the claims made by the AIMIM chief, the locals and administration refuted Owaisi’s claim. Muslims living around the disputed Jama Masjid said that there has been no migration in the area and none of the houses are locked.
Notably, after the Islamists ran riots on 24th November 2024 and attacked the team that came to survey the disputed structure on court order, several houses were locked for a few days as people temporarily left their houses, however, after the situation returned to normalcy, they returned.
Speaking to AajTak, a local Muslim woman named Salma said that no one has left the area out of any fear or coercion. The grocery shop owner further stated that if any house is locked it is due to personal reasons.
Similarly, one Ali Abdul said that some people had temporarily left the area after the 24th November violence, however, they all have returned as the situation became normal in Sambhal. Several others also asserted that a few houses seen locked are either empty or their residents have gone out for personal reasons.
Meanwhile, Sambhal SP Krishna Kumar Bishnoi said that that 2500-3000 people were involved in the violence in Sambhal on 24th November and they pelted stones and committed arson. 79 people involved in the violence were arrested and jailed, in addition, posters of those absconding have also been put up. The officer stated that those missing from Sambhal were most likely the accused rioters. He further refuted the claims of forced displacement of Muslims and said that it is “100 per cent wrong”, adding that life in Sambhal has returned to normal.
