SP stages walkout from UP Assembly alleging govt inaction against rioters

The Samajwadi Party (SP) charged the state government with failing to act against those instigating riots and staged a walkout from the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly over the issue today.

Replying to SP MLA Sanjay Garg's question on the number incidents of communal tension in the state in 2017 and 2018, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna said only two such cases -- one each in Bijnore and Etah districts -- had occurred during the period.

This was strongly countered by the opposition members.

In a supplementary, Garg said the Union minister for home told Parliament on February 6 that of the 822 cases of communal tension in 2017, 195 had taken place in UP.

This was followed by sharp exchanges between the SP and the BJP members with Garg alleging that there was an attempt to disrupt peace and order in Saharanpur this year. He also hinted that the government was revoking cases against those accused of instigating riots.

"Will the efforts to glorify those involved in communal incidents not encourage them further," the SP MLA asked.

Leader of Opposition and senior SP leader Ram Govind Chaudhary then charged the government with encouraging rioters and walked out of the House with party members.

Khanna, meanwhile, said the law and order situation of the state was 1,000 times better than what it was under the previous government and accused the SP of attempting to withdraw terror cases during its tenure.