Mulayam claims SP Govt. took prompt action to control Muzaffarnagar riots

Samajwadi Party (SP) President Mulayam Singh on Tuesday defended the Akhilesh Yadav-led Uttar Pradesh Government, and said that it took stringent measures in the Muzaffarnagar riots and the situation was brought under control within two days.

"The government did everything to control the violence. The situation was under control within two days. We couldn't have opened fire as innocents could have died. What happened in Muzaffarnagar was very unfortunate. The security forces dealt with the problem very effectively," he told media here today.

"It is because of the sternness shown by the government that the situation remained calm," he added.

He further said that communal elements are trying to take advantage of the violence in Muzaffarnagar and its adjoining areas.

He also denied opposition parties' allegation that the state has witnessed hundred riots during the Samajwadi Party's rule, and called it 'a big lie'.

Earlier in the day, Muzaffarnagar District Magistrate (DM) Kaushal Raj Sharma said that the curfew in the riot-hit area has been relaxed for about two hours, and added that the situation is under control.

"The situation is under control. There has been no incident in the last 48 hours. Looking at this, the curfew would be relaxed so that the problems of the people of Uttar Pradesh can be reduced. There will be a relaxation in curfew from 3:45pm to 5:30pm. But there will be curfew the entire night," he said.

The police were issued shoot at sight orders and they have filed case against over 1,000 unknown people and arrested over 130, including four BJP MLAs and a former Congress MP.

With tension running high in the area, the Centre had on Monday offered to provide additional paramilitary forces to Uttar Pradesh to assist the local administration in dealing with the situation.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh government had constituted a one-member judicial commission to probe Muzaffarnagar violence.

The commission, which would mainly look into administrative lapses, if any, in controlling the violence, would submit its report to the government within two months.

"A one-member judicial inquiry commission of Justice Vishnu Sahai has been constituted by the government to probe the Muzaffarnagar violence starting from Kawal incident on August 27 till September 9," State Home Secretary Kamal Saxena said.

Violence broke out in the Kawal area of Muzaffarnagar on Saturday when members of a community returning from a panchayat meeting in Naglabadhod, three kilometres from Kawal, clashed with members of another community.