Rajnath denied permission to visit Muzaffarnagar

Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh was on Saturday denied permission to visit riot-hit Muzaffarnagar.

Singh accused the Samajwadi Party government of selectively targeting his party leaders He also accused the government of inciting riots in Uttar Pradesh whenever it comes to power in the state and said a delegation would meet the President next week to give him an account of the prevailing situation in riot-hit areas.

"I wanted to meet the families of the victims and take stock of the situation. But the district administration denied me permission, saying my visit is not possible in the present circumstances," he told reporters.

He said the recent sting operation carried by news channels has proved that those in power in UP played a role in instigating the violence.

"The SP and the BSP want to gain mileage out of the prevailing situation in UP in the Lok Sabha elections," he alleged.

He said he has set up a committee, under UP’s BJP Legislature Party leader Hukum Singh, to prepare a report on the situation in riot-hit areas and the damage caused by the violence.

"We will hand over the report to the President when we meet him on September 24. BJP MLAs from UP will also be part of the delegation," he said.

Asked why he chose to heed to the request of the district administration by cancelling his visit, Singh said had he defied it, he would have been accused of "fanning tension".

"While I have decided not to go, I condemn the approach of the district administration and the state government. I was going to apply balm on wounds, not create further tension," he said.

He also demanded fair compensation to people who have lost their property and kith and kin in the violence.

Talking to reporters, Humkum Singh said while several FIRs have been lodged in connection with the violence against leaders of the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Congress and the BJP, Members of Legislative Assembly from his party have been selectively picked up by police.

He also rubbished suggestions that he was booked by police for delivering a hate speech at a mahapanchayat of a particular community.

"The case is based on the statement of a police official. Which part of the speech was aimed at fanning tension? They would certainly have a copy of a CD or a cassette of my speech. The words which they think are aimed at spreading hatred are not mentioned in the FIR," he said.

He alleged that a committee set up by the UP Legislative Assembly, to probe the sting operation on the riots, at the suggestion of Leader of the Opposition Swami Prasad Maurya was aimed at muzzling facts.

"This shows that the BSP and SP have joined hands," he claimed.