A 15-member delegation from the Samajwadi Party (SP) is set to visit Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday to collect information regarding the violence that erupted following a survey at the Shahi Jama Masjid complex, the party said on Friday.

The party state president Shyam Lal Pal stated that at the direction of party chief Akhilesh Yadav, the delegation will report back with findings about the unrest in the area.

Additionally, Congress state president Ajay Rai told PTI that a Congress delegation plans to visit Sambhal on December 2.

Tensions have persisted in Sambhal since a trial court ordered the initial survey of the Jama Masjid on November 19. Claims have been made by the petitioner that the mosque is built on the site of a “Harihar temple”.

The violence escalated on November 24 when protesters clashed with authorities near the mosque, resulting in stone pelting and arson. The unrest led to four deaths and numerous injuries, including among security personnel, though the police have denied firing upon the protesters.

Pal’s note, shared on ‘X’, stated that the delegation comprises key figures including the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Mata Prasad Pandey, the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, Lal Bihari Yadav, and various SP MPs such as Ziaur Rahman Barq, Harendra Malik, Ruchi Veera, Iqra Hasan, and Neeraj Maurya.

Notably, Ziaur Rahman Barq, who would be part of the delegation, has been booked in connection with the November 24 violence for allegedly committing “provocative acts”.

The delegation will also include MLAs Kamal Akhtar, Ravidas Mehrotra, Nawab Iqbal Mahmood, and Pinky Singh Yadav.

Earlier, the SP had postponed its visit after receiving assurances from the Director General of Police regarding an impartial investigation into the violence.

During a press conference last Tuesday, Pandey revealed that he had planned to travel to Sambhal earlier but chose to consult the DGP, who assured him of a fair inquiry and recommended they wait three days for a visit.

Currently, the district administration in Sambhal has enforced prohibitory orders, restricting the entry of outsiders until Saturday.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said that it has received no request from US authorities about the arrest warrant issued against industrialist Gautam Adani over bribery charges. The statement comes amid reports of an indictment against Gautam Adani by the US Department of Justice.

The MEA stated that the government has no role in the legal proceedings involving Adani-linked entities in the United States. Randhir Jaiswal, MEA spokesperson said that it is a legal matter involving private firms and individuals and the US Department of Justice. He added that the established procedures and legal avenues would be followed in such cases.

Notably, for any legal actions to be taken in India, including the execution of an arrest warrant, the US authorities are required to notify the Ministry of Home Affairs in India. Following, the Home Ministry can then direct relevant federal agencies to act upon the request.

Reports stated that the indictment against Gautam Adani in the US includes allegations of bribery to secure solar energy contracts in India and misleading American investors through fraudulent financial disclosures.

The US authorities, if they seek to bring Gautam Adani to the US to face charges, are expected to invoke the India-US extradition treaty. The US must provide evidence linking the alleged actions to violations of American law and demonstrate their jurisdictional impact under the aforesaid treaty.

Addressing a press conference today, the MEA spokesperson said that the government was not informed in advance about the matter and had not discussed it with their US counterparts. He mentioned that any request by a foreign government for the service of a summons or arrest warrant is part of mutual legal assistance. He explained that such requests are examined on merits. He asserted that they have not received any request in this case from the US side.

Randhir Jaiswal also emphasised that the issue pertains to private entities and that the government is not legally involved in the matter at this stage. Nonetheless, the Adani Group has dismissed the charges as baseless and said it would tackle the matter legally

S Jaishankar, External affairs minister today said that the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government is responsible for protecting Bangladesh citizens, including its minorities. He made this statement in response to a question in the Lok Sabha about violence against minorities, including Hindus, in Bangladesh.

The External Affairs Minister said that the government has seen several reports of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities since August 2024, when Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee Bangladesh. He further added that reports of attacks on temples and puja mandaps also emerged during the recent Durga Puja festival in Bangladesh.

Furthermore, S Jaishankar asserted that the government has taken a serious note of these incidents and shared its concerns with the Government of Bangladesh. He also said that the High Commission of India in Dhaka continues to supervise the situation related to the minorities in Bangladesh closely. He underlined that the primary responsibility for the protection of life and liberty of all citizens of Bangladesh, including minorities, rests with the Government of Bangladesh.

This statement comes amid protests and unrest in Bangladesh over the arrest of former priest of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Bangladesh, Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, on sedition charges. The Hindu monk is accused of hoisting a saffron flag above the Bangladesh national flag during a rally in October.

Many political leaders in India have voiced concern over the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das and issued an appeal to the Narendra Modi-led central government to intervene in the matter.

Meanwhile, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also backed the arrested Hindu monk, Chinmoy Krishna Das, saying that he was unjustly arrested and must immediately be released. She has also called upon the Bangladesh government to protect religious and ethnic minorities that have braved violence since her ouster from power in August.