BJP, SP spar over Saharanpur riot report; Cong, BSP blame both

New Delhi/Lucknow: BJP on Sunday dismissed the U.P. government panel report on Saharanpur riots which indicted its MP, terming it as “politically motivated” and a “camouflage” by the Akhilesh Yadav dispensation to hide its “failures”.

While ruling Samajwadi Party in U.P. alleged that the enquiry report had proved BJP’s involvement in the communal riots, the two parties came under attack from BSP and Congress which blamed them for the communal tension.

“The perpetrators of the Saharanpur riots are trying to be the judge. So what is the meaning of this report.... The unfortunate incidents in Saharanpur could have been prevented if the administration and the state government had not shown a lackadaisical attitude,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.

The party claimed that the report indicts the UP Government and it should introspect and rectify its flaws.

“The report clearly indicts the state government and I think they feel obliged to cover up their tracks or put some camouflage by finding some means or way to attack BJP. I think they should worry about the flaws in the own conduct,” another party spokesperson M.J. Akbar said.

Attacking BJP, Samajwadi Party’s national general secretary Naresh Agarwal said, “As the role of a BJP MP has also come to the fore, we can say that the party (BJP) has a role in the Saharanpur incident.”

But the BJP questioned the findings with party’s UP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak saying, “When there is an administrative failure, then how is BJP responsible for the clashes”.

He said SP was indulging in a blame game for political mileage.

“It is the report of the party and not the government. What do you expect from SP which has been blaming BJP time and again to conceal its own government’s failures,” Mr. Pathak alleged.

BJP MP Raghav Lakhanpal, who has been named by the five-member committee headed by UP minister Shivpal Yadav for allegedly inciting rioters, trashed the allegations, saying they reflected the “low level politics” of Samajawadi Party which was trying to “appease” a particular community ahead of Assembly by polls in Uttar Pradesh.

“It is politically motivated. I have been praised for my efforts to end to the violence and restore peace. The government should have thanked me instead of levelling false allegations,” the MP told PTI in Saharanpur.

The BSP supremo Mayawati targeted both Samajwadi Party and BJP, alleging that the two parties were hand in glove in fanning communal violence in the state.

The BSP leader said the “actual facts” are were buried and the report has little meaning.

“BJP and SP are hand in glove. The report has not put forth the actual facts. It has little meaning. We do not accept the report,” Ms. Mayawati said.

Congress too reacted sharply saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi should follow his words that communalism will not be tolerated and take up the issue “strictly” with his party men.

Congress leader Rashid Alvi said, “It is very painful. In Meerut, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Everywhere VHP and BJP members have been named. On one hand the Prime Minister, speaking from the Red Fort, tells the country that communalism will not be tolerated. On the other hand his party members indulge in such wrong activities. The PM should talk to his party workers strictly about it.”

The party also targeted Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party.

Congress leader Manish Tewari said Samajwadi Party government’s “incompetence” and BJP’s “communal politics” has led to the situation in UP and demanded that the central government take steps to maintain communal harmony.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said he would not comment as it was a “report of a political party” and he had not seen it.