BJP's Sangeet Som says will not let UP become Kashmir; Keshav Maurya says no need for Nirbhay Yatra

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Sangeet Som on Friday said he will not let UP become Kashmir.

New Delhi: After being denied permission to hold 'Paidal Nirbhay Yatra' across western Uttar Pradesh to make people feel secure, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Sangeet Som on Friday said he will not let UP become Kashmir.

Despite administration denying permission, Som, an accused in 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, remained adamant about holding his planned march from Meerut to Kairana.

Speaking to the News18, the BJP MLA from Sardhana, assured of fighting for the rights of people of Uttar Pradesh. “If people are migrating from Kairana, we will make all efforts to bring them back,” Som said.

Commenting on authorities denying him permission to hold the march, defiant Som said, he has not received any such order either from the officials or his party.

However, UP BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya said that the party hasn't announced any such "Nirbhay Yatra". Sangeet Som has been told that the march isn't necessary, Maurya added.

With his march, the BJP leader wants to instil confidence in people, who are staying in fear due to the “communal atmosphere being created” by some political parties.

Som said, he has decided the week-long 'Paidal Nirbhay Yatra' “to make people feel safe”. He further assured that his party is with the people of UP and and won’t let any untoward incident.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party leader Atul Pradhan has also announced to hold 'Sadbhavana Yatra', which would also begin from Meerut and culminate at Kairana.

However, the district administration has refused to give permission to hold the yatra.

BJP MP Hukum Singh had claimed that Hindu families were leaving in large numbers from Muslim-majority Kairana town in Shamli district under duress.

However, on Tuesday, he retracted from his earlier stand and said it was not a communal issue but one of law and order. He released another list of 63 persons who had fled from neighbouring Kandhala.

A delegation of leaders of five parties that visited Kairana yesterday hit out at BJP for giving a "communal" angle to the migration of families even as the ruling party took a swipe at JD(U) and RJD, which were part of the group, for "vitiating" the atmosphere after "failing" to run Bihar.

The eight-member BJP delegation which went to review the situation in controversial Kairana village on Wednesday targeted the Uttar Pradesh government over the deteriorating law and order condition and said that apart the 346 families who have already migrated from the village, many more are willing to do the same.