BJP, Hindutva elements raising communal tensions over beef consumption in UP, alleges CPI-M

New Delhi: The CPI-M on Wednesday accused the BJP and "Hindutva elements" of trying to raise communal tensions over a "so-called beef consumption" issue in Uttar Pradesh.

"The killing of Mohammad Akhlaq and the attack on his family (at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh in September 2015) is now sought to be diverted to the issue of cow slaughter and beef consumption," the CPI-M said.

Utilising an alleged report of a forensic lab in Mathura that a piece of meat found, that too not in Akhlaq's house, was beef, a meeting in the village has demanded that cases be registered against the family members of Akhlaq, the Communist Party of India-Marxist said in a statement.

"A 20-day ultimatum has been given to the administration to act in the matter with the warning that failure to so do will lead to 'public anger'.

"A minister in the Modi government, Sanjeev Balyan, who was implicated in cases connected with the (earlier) Muzaffarnagar riots, has made a provocative statement demanding a probe to find out who all had consumed beef besides Akhlaq," the CPI-M statement said. 

"Other BJP leaders have demanded action against Akhlaq's family members.

"All these statements are being made with the intention of stoking communal tensions and is part of the wider gameplan of the BJP to create a communal polarization in Uttar Pradesh before assembly elections next year," it said.

The CPI-M urged the Uttar Pradesh administration to file cases against Balyan and others for inciting communal hatred. 

"The Uttar Pradesh government should deal firmly with all those elements who are trying to incite communal passions and provoke violence. 

"There should be no laxity in prosecuting all those accused in the Akhlaq murder case."