SP to blame for Muzaffarnagar riots, says Rajnath

Whenever the Samajwadi Party (SP) comes to power, "a series of communal riots begin in Uttar Pradesh", said BJP president Rajnath Singh Saturday after he called off his visit to violence-hit Muzaffarnagar district.

"If we see the history of riots, then we can see that whenever the Samajwadi Party (SP) comes to power, a series of communal riots begin in Uttar Pradesh," BJP president Rajnath Singh said in a press conference in Delhi.

The BJP president, officials said in Lucknow, had been requested by District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma not to come to Muzaffarnagar city.

In a fax letter sent to the BJP president's office, the DM urged him not to pay a visit to the area as it could disturb calm and peace that is prevailing in the area after a string of violent clashes and incidents since Sep 7.

Rajnath Singh accused the Akhilesh Yadav government of arresting innocent people in order to veil their involvement in the act of violence.

"The sting operation by a television channel clearly proves that the people who are present inside the government have a hand in the riots, so why are they only arresting the BJP legislators?" he asked.

BJP legislator Suresh Rana, against whom a court issued non-bailable warrant, was arrested Friday, while another BJP legislator, Sangeet Som surrendered before the police in Uttar Pradesh's Sardhana town Saturday.

Rajnath Singh said the situation in Muzaffarnagar is like during the period of emergency, and said BJP leaders will meet President Pranab Mukherjee Sep 24.

"We have asked for president's time so that we can give him the real details of the situation," he said.

He also said BJP legislators were not in any way involved in inciting violence when communal riots broke out in Muzaffarnagar Sep 7, leaving 48 dead and over 40,000 homeless.