Opinion SP has only itself to blame
Tension was brewing in Muzaffarnagar for 10 days,under the noses of the administration.
The 18-month-old Akhilesh Yadav government has seen more than 50 incidents of communal violence so far,including the Muzaffarnagar riots. The Samajwadi Partys defence each time has been the same that opponents are conspiring against its government. The question it needs to answer,though,is why it has failed to prevent the violence and tackle the aforesaid conspiracies.
Tension was brewing in Muzaffarnagar for 10 days,under the noses of the administration. However,a government that suspended IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal in Noida on the apprehension of vitiating communal atmosphere,which deployed all its machinery to foil the 84-kosi Parikrama of the VHP,failed completely to react. On the other hand,no action was taken to stop a Muslim panchayat from being held and,subsequently,the Jat Mahapanchayat was allowed despite Section 144 being in place.
As a result,the Muzaffarnagar riots became the first communal incident in Uttar Pradesh after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 in which the Army had to be called. By Monday,the death toll was already the highest for casualties in riots from a single district in the past two decades.
The BJP ranks at the top among those the SP blames. However,this is convenient to say the least. It is foolish to believe that the BJP has the potential to mobilise over one lakh people to carry out riots of this scale in the state,with or without the entry of Narendra Modi’s emissary Amit Shah. Though BJP leaders extended their support to the Jat Mahapanchayat,they had little control over its proceedings.
The SP governments actions after the riots exposed the hollowness of its administration. While CM Akhilesh was in touch with officials till 2 am Sunday,SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav stepped in for damage control undermining his son. For the past two days,all senior state officials have been appearing before Mulayam at his 5,Vikramaditya Marg,residence. It is the SP chief who gives instructions,as the CM stands by.
The Congress and the BSP see a secret deal between the SP and BJP in the violence,to the advantage of both. However,whether or not there was political mischief in Muzaffarabad riots,the picture that emerges is of a government that lacks control. With 20 years having passed since Uttar Pradesh last saw polarisation of votes on a decisive scale,this game is not just dangerous,it could backfire.
Faisal is a senior correspondent based in Lucknow
faisal.fareed@expressindia.com
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