On 26th March, the Circle Officer of Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, Anuj Chaudhary, said that the police’s aim is to preserve peace in the area. During a peace committee meeting, the officer said that if Muslims want to feed Sevaiyan to Hindus, they should be willing to eat Gujiya on Holi.
“Our aim is that the peace and order of the place where we live should not be disturbed. So, everyone has faith in us… If you want to serve Eid’s Seviyan (Vermicelli), then you will have to eat Holi’s Gujia too,” the Sambhal CO said.
"Aap agar Eid ki sewaiyan khilana chahte ho, gujiya bhi khani padegi"
— Alpaca Girl🇮🇳 (@Alpakanya) March 26, 2025
Chad Sambhal CO Anuj Chaudharypic.twitter.com/FnCXezq34y
He added that the problem starts when one side accepts the other side’s offering and then the other side refuses to reciprocate. “Both sides should eat gujiya. But here it gets messed up. When one side is not eating and the other side is eating, then brotherhood ends here,” Chaudhary said.
This comes days after Chaudhary urged Hindus and Muslims to maintain peace during Holi, which was on Friday (14th March) this year. He advised people from the Muslim community to avoid stepping out for one day on the occasion of Holi if they want to avoid the colours and festivities. He also urged Hindus not to throw colours at people against their wishes.
Considering the coincidence between Holi and Jumma Namaz, CO Chaudhary advised Muslims not to come out of their homes to offer Jumma Namaz on 14th March to avoid any unpleasant situation due to Holi. “Jumma comes 52 times a year, while Holi comes only once a year. If any person from the Muslim community thinks that his religion will be corrupted due to Holi colours, he should avoid stepping out of his house on Holi. And if he still wants to come out then he should have a big heart not to be offended by the colours of Holi,” the CO said to the media.
Chaudhary’s appeal for peace, however, did not sit well with the Samajwadi Party as its leader Ram Gopal Yadav threatened the Sambhal CO, saying that if his party comes to power in Uttar Pradesh, CO Chaudhary would be jailed.
The Samajwadi Party leader also accused CO Anuj Chaudhary of inciting violence in Sambhal last year, handing a clean chit to the Islamist rioters.
Namaz not allowed on roads and roofs
The administration had called the meeting of the Peace Committee in view of Eid, Navratri and Ramnavami, keeping in mind the sensitive atmosphere in Sambhal. Prominent people from both the communities attended the meeting.
CO Anuj Chaudhary also clarified in the meeting that there is strong evidence against those who have been arrested so far in the case of violence in Sambhal. He said that the aim of the police is only to maintain law and order, not to take action against any particular community.
During the meeting, some people from the Muslim community reportedly sought permission to offer namaz on the roofs of the houses, which the administration flatly refused. ASP Shrishchandra said that there will be no permission to offer Alvida Juma and Eid namaz on the streets and on the roofs of houses. Namaz can be offered only inside the Idgah site and mosques, no one will be allowed to offer namaz by going against the rules, the police clarified.
The administration also said that namaz would be offered in the traditional way, and no new tradition would be allowed to be adopted. SDM Vandana Mishra said that the use of loudspeakers for Namaz will not be permitted. She reiterated that no namaz will be permitted on roads and roofs.
Police officials have warned that if anyone offers namaz on the road, his passport and driving license can be confiscated. SP City has made it clear that strict action will be taken against those who violate the rules. Additional security forces have been deployed in sensitive areas, and the help of CCTV, drones and local intelligence is being taken to make the security system foolproof.
