Muzaffarnagar clash: BSP demands dismissal of UP Govt.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Sunday demanded dismissal of the Akhilesh Yadav led -Uttar Pradesh government in the wake of communal violence between two communities in Muzzafarnagar, leading to the death of twelve people with forty others injured.

BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya urged the Governor Banwari Lal Joshi to recommend imposition of the President's rule in the state to the Centre.'

"The SP government should take moral responsibility and resign or the Bahujan Samaj Party urges his Excellency governor to dismiss the SP government, which has failed on law and order front, and recommend imposition of the President rule," he said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirti Azad also said that a thorough deliberation is needed on this incident, and added that President Rule could be imposed if necessary.

However, the ruling Congress party suspected BJP's involvement in the violence, and said that it was a conspiracy to divide people.

"It is well thought out strategy and conspiracy to divide people. I am not going to rule out that the Bharatiya Janata Party is not involved in the conspiracy," Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal said.

Additional Director General (ADG) Law and Order Uttar Pradesh Arun Kumar said 30 people have been arrested so far in connection with the communal clash in Muzzafarnagar, and added that the situation in the region was under control.

The Army on Sunday staged a flag march in riot-hit areas of Muzaffarnagar district, and the UP government has imposed an indefinite curfew in Civil lines, Kotwali and Nai Mandi area of Muzaffarnagar.

According to reports, at least twelve persons, including a TV channel journalist and a photographer hired by the police have been killed and around 40 injured in clashes between two groups since yesterday.

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

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 15 lakh to the kin of the TV journalist and Rs 10 lakh to the family of others who were killed in clashes between members of two communities in Muzaffarnagar.