PM speaks to Akhilesh over Muzaffarnagar riots

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav over Muzaffarnagar riots and assured him all possible help.

Officials in the Chief Minister's Office told IANS that the prime minister assured Akhilesh Yadav that whatever security forces the state government required will be dispatched immediately.

He also asked the 40-year-old chief minister to take control of the situation and ensure that peace returned to the violence-hit areas in Muzaffarnagar district.

Sectarian violence over the past two days has left at least 28 people dead.

In the 12-minute long conversation, Manmohan Singh also said that he was hopeful the normalcy returned to the violence-hit areas soon and that innocent people are not troubled.

The chief minister apprised the prime minister of the action taken by his government, including deployment of additional security forces and stationing senior police officials in Muzaffarnagar and neighbouring areas.

He assured the prime minister that the guilty will be brought to book very soon, and added that no violence has been reported Monday.

"The telephonic conversation was held on a positive note with both leaders expressing concern on the developments in Muzaffarnagar and speaking of coordination in bringing back normalcy," an official told IANS.