Naresh Agarwal asks Rajnath Singh to focus on BJP-ruled states

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Naresh Agarwal on Tuesday hit out at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh for blaming the Akhilesh Yadav-led Uttar Pradesh Government for failing to control the Muzaffarnagar riots, and asked him to concentrate on the states ruled by the saffron outfit.

He said that the state government is functioning efficiently and the BJP chief's comments were not required.

"If Rajnath Singh comments on BJP ruled states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh it would be better. First he should look into his house and then comment on Uttar Pradesh. We are functioning in a great way and we don't need his comments. The people of the state have given us a complete mandate and we respect the feelings of the people," he said.

Earlier in the day, Rajnath Singh blamed the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh over its failure to control the Muzaffarnagar violence in which at least 40 people were killed.

"It's very unfortunate whatever happened in Muzaffarnagar, and for this I hold the Samajwadi Government responsible. If the Centre had intervened on time, then such a big incident could have been averted."

Normalcy returned in riot-hit Muzaffarnagar, a day after the curfew was lifted, and schools, colleges, business establishments and other institutions are functioning normally.

The army is being gradually withdrawn from the region, but the district authorities have said that patrolling of paramilitary forces and other security arrangements will remain in place as usual.

On Monday evening, ten days after it was imposed, the administration lifted the curfew in the area, saying that the situation was again "peaceful."

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi visited the area to survey the situation and also meet victims of the riots.

The Prime Minister had earlier talked to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and condemned the violence.

The Uttar Pradesh Government has constituted a one-member judicial commission to probe the 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.

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