BJP not SP to be blamed for rising crimes in UP: Naresh Agarwal

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Naresh Agarwal today criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party for blaming his party for the spiraling crime rate in Uttar Pradesh.

In the wake of the recent clash in Saharanpur, the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party Government in Uttar Pradesh is facing criticism from the BJP for its failure to ensure effective and efficient law and order.

Agarwal lashed out at the BJP, saying that they were responsible for spreading communal violence and for indulging in politics in the Saharanpur case.

"The BJP is playing politics on the Saharanpur violence, whereas, it is the SP which has highlighted the truth. As I said earlier also, that the government should take action, and whichever official or political leader is responsible for it, the government should hold a strict investigation against them," said Agarwal.

"BJP is itself spreading communal violence, but blaming the SP. This is a new formula being used by them. Although they are a political party, but they have no right to take the law into their hands," he added.

He also condemned Sunday's incident in Faizabad, where a 20-year old woman was allegedly beaten to death by her male friend who belonged to a different community; Agarwal said that the state government is taking strict action against those responsible

"The Faizabad incident is very serious, the government is strictly investigating the matter, and the culprits have also been arrested. There are other names which are coming up in the case, which are also being investigated. They all will be charged under all possible sections of the Indian Penal Code and the case will be moved to the fast track court," said Agarwal.

UP has been facing a spate of crimes one after the other thereby spreading communal tensions, as recently two groups had clashed in Saharanpur over a patch of disputed land close to the city's railway station, after which curfew was imposed all over the city.

In yet another case, a 20-year-old teacher of Hindi and English in the Sarawa village madrasa in Kharkhauda had claimed that she was gang- raped and forced to adopt the religion of a particular community and to change her name.

And now, in Faizabad, where a 20-year-old woman was beaten to death.