Riot-accused MP gives provocative speech at rally

BJP candidate for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls from Thana Bhawan constituency, Suresh Rana, has given a provocative speech during an election public meeting, where he said that his victory would lead to curfews in Muslim-dominated areas like Deoband and Moradabad.

Interestingly, the BJP MP from Muzaffarnagar, Sanjeev Baliyan, was sharing the dias when Mr. Rana made the provocative speech.

Both Mr. Baliyan and Mr. Rana were accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

Addressing a public gathering in Thana Bhawan, Mr. Rana asked the people to vote and said that if he doesn’t win, his defeat would be celebrated in Deoband and Moradabad.

“ Main haar gaya to Deoband me jashn manaya jayega ki Suresh Rana ka ilaj kar diya. Aur yadi mai yahan maar diya to Deoband me, Moradabad me curfew lag jayega mitron. (If I do not win then my defeat would be celebrated in Deoband. But if I win then friends then next thing to happen would be curfew in Deoband and Moradabad,” Mr. Rana said amid loud cheers and slogans of “ Bharat Mata ki jai” from the crowd.

The remarks drew strong reactions from Dr. Sudhir Panwar and Abdul Rao Waris, the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party candidates, respectively contesting from the Thana Bhawan seat.