Manmohan Singh speaks to UP CM, expresses grief over Muzaffarnagar deaths (Update/Muzaffarnagar)

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday, and, while condemning the violence in Muzaffarnagar deaths, expressed his grief and shock over the loss of innocent lives.

Dr. Singh assured the UP chief minister that the Centre will extend all required assistance to the state government in tackling the situation.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav also met with Akhilesh Yadav and senior state government officers to assess the situation. Yadav reportedly sought to know the reasons why the situation could not be controlled in Muzaffarnagar.

With state governor B L Joshi having forwarded his report on the violence to the Centre, the state government and the Samajwadi Party said that all steps were being taken to bring the situation under control.

"Mulayam is serious about what happened in Muzaffarnagar ... the incident is condemnable. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was himself monitoring the situation till 2 a.m.," SP spokesman and Cabinet minister Rajendra Chowdhury told reporters after the meeting.

Asked whether officers are not paying heed to the chief minister, Chowdhury said, "No officer has the courage to defy the orders of the CM."

"We stopped 84 kosi yatra and thwarted attempt to communalize atmosphere of the state ... In Muzaffarnagar incident also, action will be taken against those who had taken law into their hands," Chowdhury said.

Chief secretary Javed Usmani, DGP Devraj Nagar and principal secretary, home, RM Srivastava also attended the meeting.