How Fatehpur Maqbara Turned Flashpoint: Temple–Mosque Dispute Over 200-Year-Old Tomb Sparks Clashes

Last Updated:August 12, 2025, 14:37 IST

Hindu outfits claimed the tomb was a temple, sparking violent clashes, political blame games, and massive security deployment in UP’s latest communal confrontation.

Eyewitnesses said protesters broke through the barricades, entered the maqbara compound, chanted slogans, and declared it a temple. (Image: News18)

A centuries-old tomb in Fatehpur has become the centre of a communal confrontation. On Monday morning, a 200-year-old maqbara (tomb) inside the Eidgah in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district became the focal point of a fierce temple–mosque dispute after Hindu groups claimed it was originally a temple. They forcibly entered the premises, sparking violent clashes and prompting the deployment of security forces from seven districts.

How it began

The unrest traces back to a video circulating on social media late last week, in which a group of men alleged that the maqbara, locally known as the “Peer Baba Maqbara," was built over the ruins of an ancient Hindu temple. Although such claims had occasionally surfaced in the past, this was the first time they were amplified online alongside calls for physical action.

Four days before the clashes, the ‘Math Mandir Sangharsh Samiti’ submitted a memorandum to District Magistrate Ravindra Singh, demanding that the site be “restored" as a Hindu temple and announcing plans to clean it and celebrate Janmashtami there on August 11.

On Sunday, BJP’s Fatehpur district president Mukhlal Pal publicly urged “all Sanatanis" to assemble at 9 am and march to the site for puja and aarti “at any cost," claiming the administration already knew the “proof" of the site’s temple origins.

Escalation on Monday

Acting on intelligence inputs of possible unrest, police barricaded the maqbara. However, the mobilisation on Monday morning was larger and swifter than expected. By 10 am, hundreds of people from various Hindu outfits had gathered near the site, carrying sticks and saffron flags. Eyewitnesses said protesters broke through the barricades, entered the maqbara compound, chanted slogans, and declared it a temple.

Hindu Mahasabha leader Manoj Trivedi performed puja inside, while some men climbed the roof and planted saffron flags. The sight enraged local Muslims, and within minutes, around 1,500 people had assembled at the Eidgah, triggering a tense standoff.

From tension to clashes

The confrontation quickly turned violent, with stone-pelting reported from both sides. Police launched a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd, but the unrest spilled into nearby streets. ADG Prayagraj Zone Sanjeev Gupta rushed to the spot, overseeing a flag march while drones monitored the area. Reinforcements from six neighbouring districts and personnel from ten police stations were called in.

Fatehpur SP Anup Singh said forces had been stationed at the site since morning, but “some miscreants still managed to get inside." The flags were removed and the premises secured. “Only police personnel remain inside. Everyone else has been sent back," he said.

By evening, an FIR was registered against 10 named and 150 unidentified individuals under charges including trespass, vandalism, and rioting. Among those booked were BJP district general secretary Pushpraj Patel and Bajrang Dal district convenor Dharmendra Singh. Multiple police teams have been formed to arrest all accused.

Political reactions

The incident immediately entered the political arena. BSP chief Mayawati condemned the violence, warning against “deliberate stoking of communal fires for political gain" and urging impartial action. “Such controversies are neither in the interest of the state nor the country. The government must deal strictly with those disturbing peace," she said.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav accused the ruling BJP of creating “diversionary issues" to distract from governance failures. “After Sambhal, now Fatehpur — religious places are being turned into battlegrounds. The BJP government is playing with people’s emotions instead of focusing on employment, inflation, and farmers’ issues," he posted on X.

Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak assured that “no one will be allowed to break the law" and promised strict enforcement of order.

Appeals for calm

In an attempt to defuse the situation, Shahar Qazi Saeedul Islam Abdullah appealed to Muslims to maintain peace. “Those who created trouble will face legal action. Our city’s harmony must be preserved. We should remain calm and let the administration do its work," he said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Hindu activists regrouped about 500 metres away at Dak Bungalow Chauraha, blocked the road, and began reciting the Hanuman Chalisa in protest against police action.

Administrative response

The District Magistrate’s office announced that the disputed structure would remain under 24-hour security with restricted entry until further orders. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been asked to provide historical documentation of the site.

Authorities are also probing whether the large gathering was orchestrated in advance and whether additional groups were involved in mobilising crowds.

Layers of history

The maqbara, believed to be around 200 years old, is thought to have been built during the late Mughal or early colonial period as the tomb of a local noble, Nawab Abdul Samad. It features a blend of late Indo-Islamic architecture with ornamental motifs resembling older Hindu styles — a design overlap not uncommon in that era.

For decades, the site saw no recorded dispute and was quietly maintained by the local Muslim community. However, recent controversies over religious monuments in Mathura, Varanasi, and Sambhal have created a charged atmosphere where overlapping architectural features are increasingly cited as evidence of religious conversion or demolition.

By late evening, officials reported the situation “under control," but tensions persisted. Three companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and senior officers remained on site. Streets around the Eidgah bore the aftermath of the unrest — scattered stones, dismantled barricades, and the persistent hum of surveillance drones overhead.

For Fatehpur — once a symbol of Uttar Pradesh’s Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb — Monday’s events were a stark reminder of how quickly communal harmony can be tested.

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First Published:

August 12, 2025, 14:37 IST

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