Rioting: Yogi Government rushes top officers to Saharanpur

NEW DELHI: Rattled by two incidents of rioting within 15 days in the sensitive district of Saharanpur just ahead of the Uttar Pradesh municipal polls, the Yogi Adityanath government rushed its top officers to Saharanpur on Sunday promising an impartial probe.

State DGP Sulkhan Singh and principal secretary (home) Debasish Panda assured locals in Saharanpur that no innocent would be arrested in both the matters — a point of big concern in the area after Dalit homes were torched by people from the Thakur community in Village Shabbirpur. The Yogi government is concerned that in both the cases of rioting in village Dhudli and Shabbirpur separated by 15 days, trouble was triggered after processions were carried out despite local authorities denying permission to the same.

The state DGP has said in clear terms that locals should desist from taking out any unauthorised processions and not resort to “any new traditions” or “carry any weapons”. The BJP had taken out the unauthorised procession in the name of Bhim Rao Ambedkar in Dhudli village last month.

The DGP and home secretary met representatives of all political parties in Saharanpur as SP, BSP and Congress have stationed teams here to probe the matter. “All people whose houses have been torched will be given compensation.

The Saharanpur district magistrate will prepare a report on the matter and submit the same to the Uttar Pradesh government. The district magistrate and SSP of Saharanpur have been asked to do village peace meetings with all communities to restore peace.