“All schools and colleges have been closed and public gatherings have been prohibited” in Sambhal, said a local administrator, Aunjaneya Kumar Singh. Policemen patrol on the deserted streets of Sambhal, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, on November 25, 2024. Stringer/APWhat began as a standoff escalated into clashes when protesters threw stones at police, who responded by deploying tear gas, police said. As authorities brace for potential fallout, the incident has reignited tensions over religious disputes in India where historical grievances often fuel contemporary conflicts. The petitioner in Sambhal cites historical texts that the mosque was constructed over a Hindu temple allegedly destroyed by Mughal emperor Babur in 1529.

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Persons: Aunjaneya Kumar Singh, Singh, Stringer, ”, Krishna Kumar Vishnoi, Narendra Modi’s, Modi, Babur Organizations: —, Authorities Locations: Lucknow, India, Indian, Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, Ayodhya