Muzaffarnagar violence 'unfortunate', UP Govt. should take stern action: Rajnath

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh on Thursday appealed to the people of Uttar Pradesh to maintain peace following reports of fresh violence in Muzaffarnagar, and said the state government should take strict action.

"Muzaffarnagar has been through such a communal turmoil before. I find it extremely disheartening and unfortunate. I want to appeal to the people in Uttar Pradesh to maintain peace and calm. And I expect the Uttar Pradesh Government to take strict measures against the perpetrators, so that no one gets an opportunity to raise a question on them," he said.

Four people, including a woman, were killed in two incidents of violence in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh yesterday night, where communal clashes last month had left over 60 dead and 45,000 homeless.

The clashes occurred in the Bhaurankalan police station area, when people from two communities fought a pitched battle.

The district administration has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the area to avoid any untoward incident.