UP Police seek to file FIRs against leaders for Dadri speeches

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Police have sought to book Union minister Mahesh Sharma, BJP legislator Sangeet Som and BSP leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui for their speeches and actions in the aftermath of the Dadri lynching.

Officials here told IANS on Wednesday that police sought to file first information reports (FIRs) against these leaders as they had breached the prohibitory orders clamped in Bisahada village after the killing of 52-year-old Mohd. Akhlaq over allegations that he and his family members are beef.

In his report, Superintendent of Police (rural) Sanjay Kumar Yadav said the three leaders were given permission only to meet the bereaved family.

The leaders, however, breached the understanding and addressed public gatherings in the village, and at some point in time made inflammatory comments that could further escalate communal tension in the area, the report went on to point out.

Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma, who is alSO the BJP’s member of the Lok Sabha from Noida, had, soon after visting Dadri, said that the lynching “was an incident borne out of a rumour of cow slaughter and not a pre-planned murder”.

Sangeet Som, Bharatiya Janata Party legislator from neighbouring Sardhana, pledged before people that “if innocent people are framed by police, the reaction will be severe (munh tod jawaab diya jayega)”.

Bahujan Samaj Party leader Siddiqui, too, addressed the people in the area and made political statements against the state government.

District officials of Noida said they are considering legal opinion and would act accordingly. Mohd. Akhlaq was beaten to death by an angry mob on September 8 and his son Danish was injured seriously after announcements were made from a nearby temple that the family was consuming beef.

The incident sparked off an outrage across the country. Ten people have been arrested so far. The Uttar Pradesh government has provided a Rs.30 lakh compensation to the family of Akhlaq and Rs.5 lakh each to Akhlaq’s three brothers who were injured.