 "Photo: ANI")
BJP MP Hukum Singh, who had claimed mass exodus of Hindu families from Kairana in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district, on Tuesday released another list of 63 persons who had fled from neighbouring Kandhala but stressed that it was not a communal issue but of law and order.
"We have raising this issue since long. These incidents started from 2013 and since then our party MLAs have been raising our voice against this in the assembly. You can go and check the assembly record where we had raised this issue," Hukum Singh said at a press conference, while releasing the second list.
The BJP leader, who earlier released a list of 346 people, however told NDTV that the people fled due to "threats and extortion by criminal elements belonging to a particular community".
"By mistake someone in my team mentioned Hindu families. I asked them to change that. I stick to my stand that this is not a Hindu-Muslim issue. This is just a list of people who have left Kairana under duress," he said.
"I have asked my workers to re-verify...a few names may be off the mark, but largely it's the same. It's not a communal issue, but a law and order problem," he added.
Singh had earlier said that the Hindus were being forced to leave their homes in the Muslim-majority town in Uttar Pradesh.
He also assured that no riots will take place because of his claim and denied the charges of communalising the issue
"No riots will take place, I assure you following my statement. I stand by names mentioned in the list. However, I am always subject to correction," Singh said while addressing the media.
The BJP has formed a party panel which will visit Kairana and will submit a report in this regard to the party president.
The Congress and Samajwadi Party have accused the BJP of attempting to polarise voters by raising Kairana issue months before assembly elections which are due next year.
