The BJP on Thursday rejected the judicial inquiry commission’s report on Muzaffarnagar riots, saying its findings were “politically motivated” and meant to “cover up” actions of the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh. “We reject its findings. We had opposed the setting up of the panel as we knew that it was an exercise to cover up actions of the SP and its leaders, who fuelled the riots. This report is politically motivated and BJP leaders have been targeted at the behest of state government,” BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said. [related-post] The report of the Justice (retd) Vishnu Sahai panel, which was handed over to Governor Ram Naik Wednesday, has not been made public but a section of media has reported that it has indicted local SP and BJP members for the riots in which more than 60 people were killed. Sharma alleged the violence was “sponsored” by SP. “It all happened due to the (SP) government’s appeasement policies,” he alleged. While the state government said action would be taken against those guilty, the SP accused the BJP of inciting the riots. A spokesperson for the government said the report would be tabled in the next assembly session. SP spokesperson Rajendra Choudhary blamed the BJP for the riots. “Everybody knows who is behind these riots. BJP leaders have been named in the cases. We will study the report and action will be taken,” he said. The Congress and BSP demanded that the report be made public as soon as possible. Congress’s Randeep Surjewala said, “We want the report on Muzaffarnagar be tabled in the assembly and made public.” On media reports that the probe blamed BJP and SP, he alleged, “BJP instigated the violence and the SP, which is in power, did nothing.” BSP chief Mayawati said in a statement that the commission took a long time to submit its report but whether the victims get justice will depend on the intention of the SP government. “The working of SP government in this incident so far raises doubts that culprits will be punished. Instead, the government may cover up the matter and put it on back burner,” she said, adding that the riots spread to adjoining districts because the SP government was hand in glove with BJP.
