BJP blames state government for Muzaffarpur riots, demands judicial probe

PATNA: Blaming the state government for communal riots at Ajizpur village in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, BJP today demanded a judicial enquiry into the incident and Rs 10 lakh compensation to the families of the victims.

"We demand judicial enquiry into the causes, as well as, police inaction that led to communal riots at Ajizpur. The Bihar government should give Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the family members of the victims," said senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

"The family members of the youth Bhartendu, whose abduction and murder sparked the riots, are not accepting that he was killed over a love affair. They are claiming jealousy as the motive. We need to get to the root of the incident," he said.

Demanding arrests of the culprits and strictest of action against them, the senior BJP leader said, "We are getting reports about arrest and harassment of innocent persons by the police in the name of action. People belonging to Sahni and Paswan castes are being targeted and arrested. This should be stopped as it will lead to more acrimony."

Police have arrested 14 persons and has registered an FIR against 2,000 persons of Ajizpur and adjoining villages for taking part in the violence on January 18, 2015.

Altogether, four persons lost their lives in the riot after the body of Bhartendu was discovered buried in an agricultural field. Also, 37 houses were torched in the incident and several others damaged partially.

Bhartendu's family members had accused Sadat and his father Wasi Ahmad in the FIR, which the police lodged after two days of his abduction.