Now, VHP, Bajrang Dal claim Hindu migration from Agra localities (Lead, Correcting headline)

Local leaders of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal on Monday demanded a probe into what they called was the "migration of nearly a hundred families" from Agra localities with considerable population of Muslims.

Sunil Parashar of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad said there was a systematic plan at work to force the Hindus to sell their properties and leave Muslim mohallas.

The VHP has already submitted a memorandum along with the lists of families as well as the localities where this strategy was at work, VHP leaders said.

Bajrang Dal leader Premendra Jain said: "Year after year, this trend has been visible. Hindus living in houses adjoining those of Muslims have been under tremendous pressure to leave. Adverse conditions have been created to make their living difficult."

While the district authorities have so far not reacted to the demand, Muslim leaders maintained those who sold their properties did it for profit and had other places to go.

Many families shifted out of the city for work or business development, they said.

Muslim leaders too criticised the VHP leaders for needlessly raking up a controversy to spoil communal amity.

The local Samajwadi Party leaders too rejected the contention and claimed there was an effort by the Hindutva groups to polarise voters ahead of the 2017 assembly polls.

Earlier this month, BJP MP Hukum Singh had claimed mass exodus of Hindu families from Kairana in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district.

On June 14, he released a second list of 63 persons, apart from that of 346 persons earlier, who he claimed had fled from neighbouring Kandhala.

He maintained that these people fled due to "threats and extortion by criminal elements belonging to a particular community".

--IANS

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