A video has gone viral on social media showing people removing a balcony from a fully constructed house. Claims accompanying the video suggest that Hindutva groups, with support from the Uttar Pradesh government, decided to demolish a Muslim family’s house, citing the discovery of an old temple near the Jama Masjid in Sambhal as the reason for the demolition. The video appears to be shared with the intention of giving a communal spin to the incident.
Aditi Sharma claimed, ‘Hindutva hypocrisy at its peak. Muslim houses demolished in #Sambhal, India, over claims of an ancient temple near JamaMasjid. Meanwhile, they scream about Hindu minorities in Bangladesh!’
#Hindutva hypocrisy at its peak#Muslim houses demolished in #Sambhal, India, over claims of an ancient temple near #JamaMasjid.
— Aditi Sharma (@Adititweets_) December 18, 2024
Meanwhile, they scream about Hindu minorities in #Bangladesh!#OneNationOneElectionBill #Maynata #Sambhal pic.twitter.com/CIHWDOz7ug
Anonymous wrote, ‘Muslim houses are being demolished because the #Hindutva gang claims to find an old temple near Jama Masjid in Sambhal, #India. These bigots everyday scream #Hindu minorities are in danger and their houses and temples being destroyed in #Bangladesh.’
#Muslim houses are being demolished because the #Hindutva gang claims to find an old temple near Jama Masjid in #Sambhal, #India. These bigots everyday scream #Hindu minorities are in danger and their houses and temples being destroyed in #Bangladesh. pic.twitter.com/WSc8lsMFPA
— Anonymous (@Anonymous___XYX) December 19, 2024
Besides this, Ashok Swain and Anjali Sharma shared the claims.
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Fact Check
We began our fact-checking process by conducting a reverse image search of the viral video. During our search, we found a video shared by ANI on December 17. The caption read: ‘The owner of a house near the Shiv-Hanuman Temple in Sambhal voluntarily removed an illegal portion of his house, covering it to prevent debris from falling into the temple and nearby buildings. The temple was discovered during an anti-encroachment drive carried out by the district police and administration on December 14. The local administration has continued the anti-encroachment drive in Sambhal.’
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: The owner of a house located near the Shiv-Hanuman Temple in Sambhal removes an illegal part of his house by covering it, to avoid debris falling into the temple and nearby buildings.
— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2024
The temple was discovered during an anti-encroachment drive carried… pic.twitter.com/Kgt1WfXD4F
Additionally, we came across a news report published by Dainik Jagran on December 17. The report stated: ‘The owner of a house near the Shiv-Hanuman Temple in Sambhal voluntarily covered and removed a portion of his house to prevent debris from falling on the temple and nearby buildings. The temple was discovered on December 14 during an anti-encroachment drive by the district police and administration. The local administration has since continued its anti-encroachment operations in Sambhal.’
The report also mentioned that on the morning of December 18, a municipal team arrived at Hospital Chauraha with bulldozers to demolish illegal structures in the area. The operation started with the removal of encroachments narrowing the road near Agency Tiraha, including slabs built in front of shops that caused persistent traffic congestion. As the demolition began, shopkeepers and residents voluntarily removed unauthorized staircases and structures. Despite some shopkeepers requesting more time, officials declined, stating that public warnings about encroachments had been issued over the past month. A large police contingent, including PAC personnel, was deployed to ensure the operation proceeded smoothly.
Furthermore, we found a video statement from the house owner, who clarified that he voluntarily decided to remove the illegal portion of his balcony. He stated: “There was an extra (illegal) part of the balcony that covered the temple. We decided to remove it voluntarily. My father’s name is Zareef Ahmed.”
#संभल के नखासा थाना क्षेत्र के मोहल्ला खग्गू सराय में 46 साल बाद खोले गए मंदिर के निकट अवैध कब्जे को मकान मालिक द्वारा तोड़ा जा रहा है @DmSambhal pic.twitter.com/6F36Aw5x90
— UttarPradesh.ORG News (@WeUttarPradesh) December 17, 2024
In conclusion, the video showing people removing the illegal part of the house does not have any communal angle. The truth is that the owner of the house, located near the recently discovered Shiv-Hanuman Temple in Sambhal, voluntarily removed the illegal portion of his property to comply with the anti-encroachment drive.
| Claim | Hindutva groups, with support from the Uttar Pradesh government, demolished a Muslim family’s house near Jama Masjid in Sambhal. |
| Claimed by | Ashok Swain and several other social media users |
| Fact Check | The house owner voluntarily removed an illegal portion of the balcony near the recently discovered Shiv-Hanuman Temple during an anti-encroachment drive. No communal angle was involved. |
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