Ugly Face of Communal Violence in UP

News from Uttar Pradesh is distressing. More than 26 people were killed in the communal violence in the western part of the state- Muzafarnagar. It is shameful for the Samajavadi Party Government that was voted to power with the promise to improve law and order in the state has proved to be encouraging criminals to turn UP into a land of Wild West of 18^th century.

The violence has spread to rural areas that were never known for communal strife.

What has gone wrong in the state? The answer is everything. There is not even a semblance of administration under the SP rule.

The riots started with a petty brawl. Two people of a particular community were hacked to death. The local Police and the administration did not take any action against those involved in the crime. The violence spread taking a heavy toll. Even a Tv journalist working for IBN7 news channel was not spared. Young Rajesh Verma was murdered by the rioters. According to one report, Verma was shot dead not by accident but in a planned manner; the autopsy report of the bullet that pierced his chest says.

There has been alarming rise in the incidents of communal violence in UP. This year alone there have been 17 incidents of communal violence, according to a Union Home Ministry’s report. The SP government headed by Akhilesh Yadav is being run by a syndicate of relatives, friends and political confidants of Mulayam Singh Yadav.

There are instructions to the Police and the administration to go soft on the members of the minority community while enforcing law and order. Criminals have no religion, caste or colour. Criminals are criminals. But in its zeal to become the sole champion of the cause of the Muslims, the SP Government has bent rules. As a result, criminals of other community also take advantage of the situation. The Police is either a helpless onlooker or accomplish.

Honest and efficient Police and civil officers are punished while the corrupt and inefficient officers are rewarded by the UP Government. Take the case of Durga Shakti Nagpal, an IAS officer who was summarily suspended by the Yadav Government for acting against the sand mafia of UP. She was charged by the government that her administrative actions were causing communal tension in Guatham Budh Nagar (NOIDA & GREATER NOIDA). The fact remained that there was no tension whatsoever in the region communal or otherwise. The District Magistrate who officially communicated to the state government that there was no communal tension was shunted out within a month of suspension of the woman IAS officer. Durga Shakti Nagpal’s husband who too is an IAS officer was also transferred to some remote area of the state as a punishment for being the husband of Durga Shakti.

Today, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has come out with statement that “officers are free to act” to enforce law and order in the state. If that was the case then why Mr. Chief Minister you suspended and punished Durga Shakti Nagpal?

The Samajvadi Party has come out with statement on the beaten track that the BJP is behind communal strife. BJP is nowhere in the picture. On the contrary it is the policy of over the board appeasement of the minorities that has vitiated the communal atmosphere in UP. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is on record to admit that smaller and petty incident are turning into communal riots. Better look into your style of administration; people are eagerly waiting to give their verdict in the general elections to Lok Sabha  which is only a few months away from now.

~R. K. Sinha