BJP,JD-U seek clarifications over alleged LeT contact with Muzaffarnagar victims

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal-United on Tuesday sought clarifications from the central and Uttar Pradesh Governments on reports of militant groups from Pakistan being in touch with riots victims for recruitment in Muzaffarnagar.

A few victims in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh claimed that Pakistan based militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) contacted them after the communal violence.

"What was the central government doing when LeT operatives were in touch with the riot victims? Did they have intelligence or not? Did they pass on the information to the Uttar Pradesh Government or not? How did the operatives reach there? Both the Uttar Pradesh Government and the central government should explain," said BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi.

Forty-five people have died in the prosperous sugarcane district of Muzaffarnagar and surrounding areas since clashes erupted between Muslims and majority Hindu Jats - a conservative farming community - in a sign of rising tension between the two groups ahead of general elections due by May.

The clashes were triggered on August 27 when a Muslim youth was stabbed to death by two Hindu youths after being accused of sexually harassing their sister. A Muslim mob stoned the two Hindus to death.

Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Shivanand Tiwari said victims were attracted to such outfits because riots suspects were not punished expeditiously.

"Accused people are not punished. All these things provide platform for recruitment of fresh people into the militant outfits at the local level in our country," said Tiwari.

The Congress Party refused to comment on the issue.

"This is a very sensitive issue. I don't have details about it. I would not like to comment unless I have complete information regarding it," said Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal.