Muzaffarnagar riots: Two former MLAs resign from SP

Blaming the Samajwadi Party government for the recent Muzaffarnagar riots, two former legislators today resigned from the party.

The father-son duo of Mahak Singh and Ajay Kumar have alleged that if desired the administration could have stopped the Muzaffarnagar riots, that erupted following an eve-teasing incident in the adjoining Kawal village on August 27. But it chose to turn a blind eye to it, resulting in the loss of scores of innocent lives.

"Akhilesh Yadav, obviously, is responsible for the riots", they said.

Mahak Singh has been the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) MLA from Chaproli constituency in 1991-92 and later joined the SP.

While his son Ajay Kumar won the elections from the same place in 2004 on RLD ticket. Disappointed for not getting a ticket in the last elections, he joined SP and contested the elections from Badaut but lost.

However, the father-son duo are not the only ones to resign from the party in the wake of communal clashes, former MLA Ratenpal Panwar had also resigned from SP, expressing displeasure over the handling of the violence by the state government.

While former Union Minister and SP's candidate from Baghpat for Lok Sabha polls, Somapl Shastri had refused to contest the elections last week.

According to party sources, more leaders are expected to resign from the party.