A day after four people were killed in confrontations triggered by an official survey asking if a mosque from the 16th century was erected on top of a Hindu temple, authorities in a northern Indian city said Monday they had closed schools and blocked internet connections.
Following a petition from a Hindu lawyer who claimed the mosque was constructed on the site of a Hindu temple, nearly 1,000 Muslim protesters gathered outside the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday to stop a team from carrying out a court-ordered survey, officials said.
According to Aunjaneya Kumar Singh, a local administrator, “all schools and colleges have been closed and public gatherings have been prohibited” in Sambhal. Additionally, authorities prohibited public officials, social groups, and outsiders from entering.
