A mob created a ruckus at a centuries-old mausoleum in Fatehpur district on Monday, claiming it was originally a temple where they had the right to pray, police told PTI.
More than 150 people have been booked for damaging public property and disturbing peace, Superintendent of Police (SP) Anoop Kumar Singh said.
"We have found several videos showing people carrying saffron flags, chanting 'Jai Shree Ram' around the tomb, but no one was seen carrying firearms," Singh said.
Those named in the FIR include Dharmendra Singh (Bajrang Dal), Abhishek Shukla (BJP), Ajay Singh (District Panchayat Member), Devnath Dhakad (BJP), Vinay Tiwari (Municipal Councillor), Pushpraj Patel, Rithik Pal (BJP), Prasoon Tiwari (BJP) and Pappu Chauhan (Samajwadi Party).
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said the government had taken the incident seriously.
Security had been tightened around the mausoleum of Nawab Abu Samad after BJP district president Mukhlal Pal warned that he, along with Hindu organisations, would perform prayers there on August 11. Pal claimed the structure was a temple with a ‘shivling’.
A video circulating on social media showed parts of the structure being vandalised and a saffron flag being hoisted.
The SP said police were investigating how the mob entered the premises despite security. Forces from Kotwali, Radhanagar, Malwan and Husainganj police stations were deployed to maintain order.
Pal reiterated his claim that the site was originally a temple of ‘Thakur Ji’ converted into a mausoleum by “invaders”, citing symbols like the trident and lotus as markers of a Hindu temple.
The Math-Mandir Sanrakshan Sangharsh Samiti submitted a memorandum to District Magistrate Ravindra Singh, demanding intervention, alleging that the “temple” was in a “severely dilapidated” condition.
The Rashtriya Ulema Council, meanwhile, urged the administration to preserve the historical character of the tomb.
Mutawalli (caretaker) Mohammad Nafis said the structure, nearly 500 years old, was built by Emperor Akbar’s grandson and houses the graves of Abu Mohammad and Abu Samad.
The SP confirmed some people broke through the security cordon and indulged in vandalism. "Some carried bamboo sticks and hurled stones, but claims of attackers carrying firearms are incorrect," he said, adding that the situation was now peaceful.
Pathak said the BJP’s motto was “appeasement of none, satisfaction of all” and claimed riots had been “completely controlled” in over eight years of the party’s rule. He alleged the Samajwadi Party (SP) was trying to foment communal strife for political gain.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, in a post on X, said, “The incident that happened in Fatehpur is a sign of the BJP coming to an end. Whenever the BJP and its allies start getting exposed, a conspiracy is hatched to spoil the harmony. The public has now understood this BJP trick.”
“It remains to be seen whether the culprits of this incident will be identified by the drones of Lucknow or the drones of the people of Delhi. Long live social unity!” he added.
With inputs from PTI
More than 150 people have been booked for damaging public property and disturbing peace, Superintendent of Police (SP) Anoop Kumar Singh said.
"We have found several videos showing people carrying saffron flags, chanting 'Jai Shree Ram' around the tomb, but no one was seen carrying firearms," Singh said.
Those named in the FIR include Dharmendra Singh (Bajrang Dal), Abhishek Shukla (BJP), Ajay Singh (District Panchayat Member), Devnath Dhakad (BJP), Vinay Tiwari (Municipal Councillor), Pushpraj Patel, Rithik Pal (BJP), Prasoon Tiwari (BJP) and Pappu Chauhan (Samajwadi Party).
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said the government had taken the incident seriously.
Security had been tightened around the mausoleum of Nawab Abu Samad after BJP district president Mukhlal Pal warned that he, along with Hindu organisations, would perform prayers there on August 11. Pal claimed the structure was a temple with a ‘shivling’.
A video circulating on social media showed parts of the structure being vandalised and a saffron flag being hoisted.
The SP said police were investigating how the mob entered the premises despite security. Forces from Kotwali, Radhanagar, Malwan and Husainganj police stations were deployed to maintain order.
Pal reiterated his claim that the site was originally a temple of ‘Thakur Ji’ converted into a mausoleum by “invaders”, citing symbols like the trident and lotus as markers of a Hindu temple.
The Math-Mandir Sanrakshan Sangharsh Samiti submitted a memorandum to District Magistrate Ravindra Singh, demanding intervention, alleging that the “temple” was in a “severely dilapidated” condition.
The Rashtriya Ulema Council, meanwhile, urged the administration to preserve the historical character of the tomb.
Mutawalli (caretaker) Mohammad Nafis said the structure, nearly 500 years old, was built by Emperor Akbar’s grandson and houses the graves of Abu Mohammad and Abu Samad.
The SP confirmed some people broke through the security cordon and indulged in vandalism. "Some carried bamboo sticks and hurled stones, but claims of attackers carrying firearms are incorrect," he said, adding that the situation was now peaceful.
Pathak said the BJP’s motto was “appeasement of none, satisfaction of all” and claimed riots had been “completely controlled” in over eight years of the party’s rule. He alleged the Samajwadi Party (SP) was trying to foment communal strife for political gain.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, in a post on X, said, “The incident that happened in Fatehpur is a sign of the BJP coming to an end. Whenever the BJP and its allies start getting exposed, a conspiracy is hatched to spoil the harmony. The public has now understood this BJP trick.”
“It remains to be seen whether the culprits of this incident will be identified by the drones of Lucknow or the drones of the people of Delhi. Long live social unity!” he added.
With inputs from PTI
