Sambhal sparks rift: INDIA bloc allies face leadership turmoil?

THE SAMBHAL DISPUTE REFLECTS BROADER TENSIONS WITHIN THE INDIA BLOC, PARTICULARLY OVER LEADERSHIP

- Qazi Faraz Ahmad

LUCKNOW: The Sambhal incident, which witnessed five deaths during violence following a survey of the Shahi Masjid ordered by a local court last month, has emerged as a flashpoint between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, two key allies of the INDIA bloc in U.P. The incident has deepened the fault lines, with both parties jostling to project themselves as the primary advocates for the minority community.

The SP has accused the Congress of sidelining the Sambhal issue in Parliament, alleging that the Congress prioritised raising the Adani issue over the lives lost and the violence in Sambhal. SP leaders claim their MPs and MLAs were prevented from raising the issue, while Congress leadership remained focused on corporate scandals.