Amidst allegations of the police going slow against the elected representatives charged with inciting passions before the outbreak of communal violence in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is to undertake a visit of the town and its neighbouring areas on Sunday.
The violence has so far claimed 48 lives and left around 40,000 persons homeless.
The Chief Minister’s visit on Sunday will be followed by the visit of the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, who, according to reports, is expected to visit the Western Uttar Pradesh town for an on –the-spot assessment on Monday.
Mr. Yadav’s visit to the strife-torn Muzaffarnagar has assumed significance as it comes a day before the commencement of the monsoon session of the State Legislature. The session is expected to be stormy as the Opposition parties are geared up to take on the government on the communal mayhem in Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Baghpat districts of West U.P.
BJP MLAs not arrested
More importantly, the four Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs — Hukum Singh (leader of its legislative wing), Sangeet Singh Som, Kunwar Bhartendu Singh and Suresh Rana, and the Bahujan Samaj Party MLA, Noor Saleem Rana, who have been named in the FIRs lodged by the police on August 30 and September 7, have not been arrested by the police. Mr. Som was named in the FIR registered on August 29 pertaining to the fake video on the Youtube.
A Special Investigation Cell has now been constituted for conducting further investigations into their alleged role in inciting communal passions. “The Special Investigation Cell will comprise of inspectors from police zones other than Meerut Zone and they would be entrusted with the task of conducting further investigations. Postings in the special cell have already started,” ADG (Law and Order) Arun Kumar told reporters here on Saturday.
Mr. Kumar said the compact discs (related to the panchayat in Mahaveer Chowk in Muzaffarnagar on August 30 and the mahapanchayat in Nagla Mandaur on September 7) were being examined and if evidence was found against the MLAs action would be taken.
Mr. Kumar said a total of 66 FIRs were registered in Muzaffarnagar and 25 in Shamli and 174 persons arrested for substantive offences. The ADG said a comprehensive forensic team was being sent to Muzaffarnagar to examine the evidence.
