BJP Monday termed the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to riot-hit Muzaffarnagar as “secular tourism” and insisted that the government take appropriate action instead of doing votebank politics on the issue.
“One month after the communal violence took place in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav visited the area yesterday. Today the Prime Minister, Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul have gone there for secular tourism,” BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters.
Naqvi said both the SP government in Uttar Pradesh and the Congress-led government at the Centre have not taken any action to control the situation in the state.
“They are taking a secular ride on the communal riots which took place under the nose of the central government and in front of the eyes of the UP government. These riots — sponsored by the UP government — have continued to play out and these forces have fanned them by giving protection to the rioters,” Naqvi said.
BJP alleged that both Congress and SP are hand in glove on the issue and are engaged only in a mock battle.
“Had such a riot taken place in a BJP-ruled state Congress would have created an uproar... A court should be investigating the matter. There is so much fear among the people and such a large number have had to flee,” Naqvi said.
BJP has often complained that there is much hue and cry about the 2002 riots in Gujarat while communal riots in states ruled by other parties are ignored.
“These riots in Muzaffarnagar have crossed all limits of humanity. People do not want to hear the Prime Minister. They want the government to act,” Naqvi said.
Naqvi said when the Centre asked the Uttar Pradesh government to send a report on the riots in Muzaffarnagar it did not and instead posed questions.
The party sought to know why Sonia and Rahul were allowed to go to Muzaffarnagar when BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad and others were prevented.
“Even a central minister (Ajit Singh) was not permitted to go there. They were told if they visit the place the situation will worsen. But the Prime Minister, the super Prime Minister and Yuvraj went there only to rub salt on the wounds of the victims,” Naqvi said.
The main Opposition alleged that riots have taken place in Uttar Pradesh during Congress rule in the past — be it in Meerut, Varanasi, Allahabad, Aligarh and Azamgarh.