Congress criticises UP Govt. move to dismiss riot case against tainted leaders

Criticizing the Samajwadi Party led-Uttar Pradesh Government for considering to withdraw cases against Muslim leaders accused of hatemongering during the Muzaffarnagar riots, the Congress on Sunday said the state government should ensure that guilty people should be punished.

"The administration should submit correct report on the people who are involved in the riots. The cases against the guilty people should continue, and those against innocents should be quashed. I have an idea about who all are innocent, as I know the Muzaffarnagar area and its people very well," said Congress leader Meem Afzal.

The law department of the state government has written to the district magistrates of the Muzaffarnagar and Shamli district asking if the case of inciting riot and delivering inflammatory speeches against these political leader can be withdrawn or not.

"It is the duty of the administration to figure out reasons that led to riots, and, whose provocative statements evoked them. No one should be spared irrespective of their political affiliations," he added.

"Whatever happened in Muzaffarnagar, the UP Government cannot run away from its responsibilities. The present situation in Muzaffarnagar is before everybody to see. They cannot blame different political outfits. The people who were killed there were Indian citizens and theirs killers shouldn't be spared," he said.

The prominent Muslim leaders accused of rioting were BSP MP Kadir Rana, MLAs Noor Saleem and Maulana Jameel Ahmad, former Congress minister Saeed-uz-Zaman and his son Salman saeed, community leaders Asad Zama, Naushad Qureshi, trader Ahsan, advocate Sultan Mashir and others.