Zee Media Bureau/Tarun Khanna.
Meerut: Probing the cause of communal violence that occurred in Saharanpur last month, the 5-member committee has submitted its report to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
According to the reports on Sunday, the committee accuses the local administration of failing to control the riots at its initial stage.
Moreover, the state committee also blames BJP leader and MP from Saharanpur Raghav Lakhanpal for inciting communal tensions between the two communities.
Meanwhile, the BJP has rubbished the report stating it to be biased.
“I`ve not seen the report as of now. However, if it is prepared by Samajwadi Party only then I`ve nothing to say on it,” said Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Sambit Patra,BJP: An irony that the perpetrators of the Saharanpur riots are trying to be the judge, we reject report pic.twitter.com/OKhgSgkUpy
— ANI (@ANI_news) August 17, 2014
On the other hand, BSP supremo Mayawati has accused both the BJP and the SP of fanning communal tensions in UP.
“Both BJP and SP are responsible for communal violence in UP,” said she.
The communal riots in Saharanpur had led to a loss of about Rs 244 crore to the city.
An analysis `Economic impact analysis of Saharanpur riots` conducted by industry body Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry said that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) suffered losses of about Rs 25 crore and marginal workers sustained wage loss worth about Rs 18 crore.
The trouble began in Saharanpur when members of one community started construction work at the site in Kutubsher area which was objected to by the other community.
According to police, both the communities began pelting bricks and stones at each other. They later resorted to arson and burnt several shops.
Police later fired rubber bullets to control the situation as mobs went on the rampage, setting several shops afire. Additional forces, including from PAC, CRPF, RAF and ITBP were deployed in the troubled areas.
The five-member inquiry committee headed by Shivpal having Shivakant Ojha (minister for technical education), Minister for Rural Development Arvind Singh Gope and SP leaders Ashu Malik and Haji Ikram Qureshi, who is also the district president of Saharanpur district as its member, had visited Saharanpur to prepare the report.
