The BJP has hit out at the ruling Samajwadi Party for protecting its own leaders named in FIRs related to the Muzaffarnagar riots and slapping the stringent National Security Act (NSA) on its legislator Suresh Rana.
After meeting the two jailed legislators in Banda and Orai prisons, BJP state president Laxmikant Bajpai alleged the Akhilesh Yadav government was trying to divide the state on communal lines.
“No action has been taken against SP leader like Rashid Siddiqui who has also been named in the FIR. BSP MLA Noor Salim Rana was arrested and released within two days while BSP MP Qadir Rana has been booked on lighter charges. This clearly shows the mindset of the state government and also the state police,” Dr Bajpai said.
The BJP also questioned the removal of ADG (law and order) Arun Kumar and said that Muzaffarnagar SSP Praveen Kumar had gone on medical leave after being forced to slap the NSA on BJP legislators.
“This is scandalous. How can the government say an official was removed in ‘public interest’, and still not spell out the cause,” said state BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak. He added that if the reason behind Arun Kumar’s transfer was public interest, the government should explain it, and take action against the errant official.
The BJP stated that the chief minister and his government were determined on breaking the morale of the bureaucracy and the police force.