Zee Media Bureau
Saharanpur: The BJP slammed the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh for the Saharanpur riots report and accused the Akhilesh Yadav government for trying to divert the attention of the people.
Reacting to the report by the UP government on the riots in his area, BJP MP from Saharanpur Raghav Lakhanpal told ANI, “Tactic to divert attention of people and turn by-polls in favour of Samajwadi Party.”
He also said, “It is funny that people who caused riots are making reports and blaming others,” adding, “People affected by the Saharanpur riots should be compensated and justice should be delivered.”
A UP government panel today accused a BJP MP of inciting Saharanpur riots, besides blaming laxity by local officials.
"The report has been submitted by the committee to chief minister which names a BJP MP besides pointing out laxity of administrative officers," Samajwadi Party`s national general secretary Naresh Agarwal said.
"As the role of a BJP MP has also come to the fore, we can say that the party (BJP) has a role in the Saharanpur incident," he said, PTI reported.
The five-member committee headed by UP minister Shivpal Yadav, which inquired into the July 26 violence in the western UP district that left three persons dead, has alleged that Lakhanpal provoked the rioters which led to attempts to torch shops, according to sources.
While the BJP dismissed the report as an attempt by the SP to gain political mileage, BSP supremo Mayawati targeted both Akhilesh government and the BJP, alleging that the two parties were hand in glove in fanning communal violence in the state.
The BSP leader said the "actual facts" are were buried and the report has little meaning.
The Congress too reacted sharply saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi should follow his words that communalism will not be tolerated and take up the issue "strictly" with his party men.
Reacting to the report, Congress leader Rashid Alvi said, "It is very painful. In Meerut, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Everywhere VHP and BJP members have been named. On one hand the PM, speaking from the Red Fort, tells the country that communalism will not be tolerated. On the other hand his party members indulge in such wrong activities. The PM should talk to his party workers strictly about it."
The report has blamed laxity of some officers and said the government should take stern action against them to give a message to the bureaucracy, Agarwal said.
The committee alleged that the administration became active only after the violence broke out.
As the holy month of Ramzan was going on, the administration should not have allowed any construction at the disputed site or members of opposite community to assemble, the report said.
The five-member inquiry committee had 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, as its members. It had visited Saharanpur to prepare the report.
The committee was constituted by SP state president Akhilesh Yadav.
Violence erupted in Kutubsher area of Saharanpur on July 26 when members of two communities clashed for several hours over a land dispute. The violence had claimed three lives and left more than 20 people injured.
With Agency Inputs
