The Hindu-Muslim “unity rally” scheduled to be held on Monday in Jauli village, one of the riots affected areas in Muzaffarnagar, was cancelled after severe opposition from the local BJP leadership and Hindutva groups. Citing law and order issues, the district administration withdrew the permission to organise the rally at Jauli canal, about 15 km from Muzaffarnagar.
During the 2013 communal riots, Jauli witnessed violent clashes in which members of both communities were killed.
According to Vikas Baliyan, spokesperson of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sanghathan, the organiser, instead of a rally, there will only be a peace meeting in Muzaffarnagar.
The rally was supposed to be an initiative, first of its kind, exactly two years after the communal violence. The rally was termed by many a ‘reconciliation’ attempt by the Jats towards Muslims.
Virendar Singh, the BJP leader who is close to Sanjeev Baliyan, Union Minister and an MP from Muzaffarnagar, is at the forefront of the opposition to the rally. Three days ago, Mr. Singh organised a press conference along with other Jat leaders of the area and warned the administration against allowing the rally.
“We had made all the preparations to oppose the rally but I heard that it has been cancelled,” said Mr. Singh.
Mr. Vikas Baliyan, however, accused the local BJP leaders, including Mr. Virendar Singh, of using the issue of unity rally to communally polarise the area ahead of next month’s panchayat polls.
Vikas said the purpose of the rally was to unite the farmers who got divided on religious lines in the aftermath of the 2013 communal violence.