Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kirti Azad on Wednesday demanded President's Rule in Uttar Pradesh, and accused the ruling state government of working on communal lines, after sting operations revealed the police in Muzaffarnagar delayed taking action during the communal riots because of "political pressure".
"President's Rule should immediately be imposed as wicked politics has been exposed. The FIRs have been wrongly registered, which the sting operations establish. The stings have clearly shown that communal politics have been played in the state," Azad said.
"The Police sting (operation) clearly establishes that the SP (Samajwadi Party) is working on communal lines. It has become clear that to save one samurai, FIRs have been registered against the wrong people," he added.
Azad also used the opportunity to take a jibe at the ruling Congress, and questioned as to why Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had not vocalized his demand for President's Rule in Uttar Pradesh, like he did in Chattisgarh in May, this year, when some of his party leaders were attacked by Maoists.
"In Chattisgarh, when Rahul Gandhi had said that President's rule should be imposed on the state, I am wondering why he is not saying the same thing right now. I want to know, in spite of knowing the truth and visiting the place with Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister, why is he not talking about President's Rule now?" Azad said.
"This is a game being played by the SP (Samajwadi Party) and the Congress," he added.
According to reports, two district police officers were transferred on Tuesday in Uttar Pradesh after a news channels' sting operation revealed that they had admitted to acting in-delay during the communal riots of Muzaffarnagar because of "political pressure".
Media reports suggest that the police are claiming the transfers to be 'routine'.
The Uttar Pradesh Government has constituted a one-member judicial commission to probe the Muzaffarnagar violence, which has claimed over 40 lives.
The commission, which would mainly look into administrative lapses, if any, in controlling the violence, would submit its report to the government within two months.
Violence broke out in the Kawal area of Muzaffarnagar on August 27, when members of a community returning from a panchayat meeting in Naglabadhod, three kilometres from Kawal, clashed with members of another community.
