Whitewashing of Sambhal mosque underway

SambhalL (UP), Mar 16: The whitewashing of the outer wall of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal began on Sunday morning, an advocate of the mosque said.

The Allahabad High Court on March 12 directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake and complete the whitewashing at the mosque within one week.

Following the high court order, an ASI team carried out measurements and assessments on March 13. "The whitewashing of the outer wall of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal began on Sunday," Shakeel Warsi, an advocate representing the mosque side in the Sambhal district court told PTI. Sambhal has been tense after riots broke out on November 24 last year following a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, a Mughal-era mosque here. Four people were killed, and several, including police personnel, were injured in the clashes.