Muzaffarnagar riots accused be debarred from contesting: Janata Dal (U)

NEW DELHI: Janata Dal (U) today demanded that BJP and BSP candidates, who are accused in Muzaffarnagar riots cases, be debarred from contesting the Lok Sabha elections.

In a letter to V S Sampat, Chief Election Commissioner of India, JD(U) party spokesperson K C Tyagi said allowing such candidates to contest could disturb peace in the affected areas.

Tyagi said the accused, who have been fielded in the elections are Muzaffar Kadir Rana (BSP) from Muzzaffarnagar and Hukum Singh (BJP) from Kairana and Bhartendu Singh (BJP) from Bijnaur.

"All the above mentioned names are accused in the Muzzaffarnagar riots and allowing them to contest elections could disturb peace in the affected areas," Tyagi, who is also the secretary general of the party, said in the letter.

"Their (these leaders) hate speeches could again lead to flare up of violence in UP. This is also a violation of model code of conduct," Tyagi said.

Violence broke out in Muzaffarnagar in September last year, leaving 67 people dead.

Incendiary speeches by politicians and religious leaders triggered a wave of communal violence in several villages that continued for days.

Drawing the attention of CEC towards the Supreme Court's observation in this regard, Tyagi said the court has commented that "all the accused persons named in Muzaffarnagar communal violence cases must be arrested irrespective of their political affiliation".