Heat on Raja Bhaiyya over violence

A six-member delegation of Samajwadi Party leaders,which visited the village Wednesday,said Raja Bhaiyya,being a minister from the area,local MLA Vinod Saroj and MP Shailendra Kumar cannot wash their hands off the incident.

Party’s Maharashtra president Abu Asim Azmi,who led the delegation,said Thursday,“I am not saying Raja Bhaiyya is directly involved. (But) he owes moral responsibility. The incident occurred in their area and they are powerful leaders in their area. Being a Raja,he should protect everyone in his area.”

Azmi,however,did not rule out the possibility that the incident may have been the handiwork of their supporters. “The incident was on the lines of Gujarat. Luckily nobody died,but everything is finished in the village. First,they looted the belongings,and then set the houses on fire,” said Azmi.

Besides Azmi,cabinet ministers Parasnath Yadav,Awadhesh Prasad,minister of state Narendra Verma and MLAs Gayatri Prajapati and Ramlal Akela were part of the delegation.

It has been learnt that when cabinet minister Rajaram Pandey and MP Shailendra Kumar arrived in Asthan village,they had to beat a hasty retreat when villagers started raising slogans against Raja Bhaiyya. Both Pandey and Kumar are known Raja Bhaiyya supporters. A member of the delegation said the villagers named several Raja Bhaiyya supporters among those invovled in the arson.

The delegation later briefed Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav about its findings. It also produced before the CM 15 Muslims whose houses were burnt. “I have told the CM that all these 15 people should be protected,” said Azmi.

Asthan village falls in Babaganj constituency of Saroj,who is an Independent MLA. Babaganj is adjacent to Raja Bhaiyya’s constituency of Kunda. The SP had not put up candidates against either of them. Shailendra Kumar,the local MP who belongs to the SP,is a relative of Saroj.

Minister Parasnath Yadav said the incident has dented the image of the government and the Chief Minister. “Fear is palpable among the people there.”

Raja Bhaiyya,for his part,has denied all charges. “It has become routine to drag my name in anything that happens in Kunda. Firstly,it is not my constituency. Secondly,several other important persons like Congress leader Pramod Tiwari,Ratna Singh,BSP leaders Swami Prasad Maurya,K K Gautam also live there. But I am being singled out.”

As for MLA Saroj being his protege,he said,“I know him very well and even Kaushambi MP Shailendra Kumar. But why would a political person instigate violence in his constituency?”

He denied the charges of being ‘anti-Muslim’. “It is not true,I had done my best to provide relief to the victims,” he said.

On his exclusion from the delegation despite being the local minister,Raja Bhaiyya said,“I was not in Lucknow on that day.’’

Locals in Asthan village said they were targeted because a Muslim had become pradhan,snatching the post from a Raja Bhaiyya supporter. Due to efforts of Nizam Ansari,husband of pradhan Reshma,the fair price shop held by Awadesh Singh,a Thakur and known supporter of Raja Bhaiyya,was cancelled because of alleged irregularities,but Raja Bhaiyya took it personally and had it restored.

Meanwhile,a compensation of Rs 5 lakh from the state government is on the cards for each of the family whose house was burnt. Firearm licences to the villagers will be issued,a government school and a police chowki will be set up in the area.

“An inquiry has to be conducted to find out on whose instructions the police idled away for hours while the rioters had a free run,” said Azmi.