Vidha Sabha was rocked on Monday when the issue of communal riots and in carceration of innocent people was raise for their involvement in the Muzaffarnagar riots leading to deafening walkout by both BJP and BSP members.
The matter was raised during Question Hour by Congress member Nadeem Javed, who sought to know from the government about the number of riots which took place in the state between March 2013 and Dec 2014 and action taken against the guilty.
Azam said just two communal riots took place in the state since March 2013 and till date.
“Two communal riots took place in that period. The Muzaffarnagar riots took place in 2013 and Saharanpur riots in 2014. The other incidents were criminal clashes,” said the the minister while responding to a question of Nadim Javed (Congress) and Suresh Rana (BJP).
“At times, innocents get trapped and mass murderers are seen in the parliament; those who want to send people to Pakistan become ministers and those who are involved in heinous crimes are given commandos,” said State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mohammad Azam Khan without naming anyone.
Azam Khan detailing the Muzaffarnagaar riots said, 477 cases were registered in which 1359 people have been made accused. In total, 1046 criminals have been detained and action have been taken against 1349 people.
In Saharanpur, 237 cases were registered in which 229 people have been made accused and 99 of them have been take into custody, Khan said.
Khan even blamed Congress for Ayodhya demolition which led to feeling of resentment in relations between minority and the majority community.
Azam accused the BJP for political leverage on Muzaffarnagr riots. “They had a majority government in the Centre.
Bring the law and left the rioters to them, it is the job of the law to determine who is gulity and innocent” said Azam.
Conversely, Nadim Javed alleged that the government was trying conceal its failure by projecting communal conflict as criminal incidents for the reason that in the same period Central government records say that 247 communal riots took place in the state.
The minister accepted that in 2013 the number of communal riots were 247 and in 2014 it plummet to 140 whereas in other places particularly in the BJP ruled states the number has gone up.
Rana said that cases on dead persons should be withdrawn and cited example of an 87-year-old man, who was booked in a rape case.
“A high-level committee should be constituted to withdraw such cases on innocent persons,” Rana said.
To this, Khan said that rape should not be associated with age and asked the age of Asaram Bapu, who is in jail.
When BJP member Suresh Kumar Khanna demanded that the government should ensure justice to innocent people lodged in jails, Khan said that if something like that had happened the government will act after getting a written complaint in this regard.
What irked the BJP members was when Khan asked whether a high-power committee was constituted in Gujarat to ensure release of those held during riots there, and they staged a walkout.
Leader of Opposition and BSP member Swami Prasad Maurya said that suspision arose in the number of cases registered in Saharanpur and Muzaffarnagar riots.
BSP members walked out of the House when Khan alleged that a medical officer was killed inside jail during the BSP regime.
(With inputs from PTI)